'In the Heat of the Night' Cast Now: The Lives of the Actors of the Iconic Crime Drama

The TV crime/drama "In the Heat of the Night" was an iconic and critically acclaimed series of the late 80s and early 90s. The show was amazing, with many great performances from the actors. Sadly, the program ended, but fans are still curious to know where the "In the Heat of the Night" cast is now.

"In the Heat of the Night" remains an amazing series several decades after it ended. It was loosely based on the 1967 film and the 1965 novel of the same title, with some minor plot changes.

The series storyline focuses on a small-town police chief, Bill Gillespie, who later becomes county sheriff. As Gillespie tries to solve crimes and catch criminals, he encounters setbacks that force him to navigate tricky small-town politics.

The TV drama starred many actors, including Emmy Award winner Carroll O'Connor and Emmy and Oscar nominee Howard Rollins. The series, which ended in 1995, left a lasting impression, prompting fans' curiosity about where "In the Heat of the Night" cast members are now. Here is what we know.

Carroll O'Connor

Carroll starred as police chief Gillespie who worked alongside the chief of detectives Virgil Gibbs and police lieutenant Bubba Skinner. Carroll was also the show's executive producer, and he asked some of his longtime friends, like Jean Simmons and Bobby Short, to appear as guest stars.

The veteran actor, born in 1924 in Manhattan, New York, was raised in Forest Hills, a heavily Jewish community. He discovered his passion for acting while studying English at the University of Montana.

Besides "In the Heat of the Night," Carroll is also famous for other hit shows like the sitcom "All in the Family," in which he co-starred with Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, and Rob Reiner.

Carroll is also known for his notable performance in the sitcom "Archie Bunker's Place," the 2000 romance/drama film "Return to Me," and the action film "Kelly's Heroes" in which he co-starred with Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas.

Carroll's adopted son, Hugh O'Connor, was also one of the "In the Heat of the Night" cast. He had a starring role as Lieutenant Lonnie Jamison. In 1995, Carroll's life almost came to a standstill when his only son committed suicide after a long battle with drug addiction.

Hugh, born in 1962 in Rome, was adopted by Carroll and his wife, Nancy. When Hugh turned 16, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, but he fought it with the help of chemotherapy. It was at the same time that Hugh began using drugs.

Hugh's death devastated his father, and as a result, Carroll became a vocal advocate for the Drug Dealer Liability Act. The law, which became effective in 1997, has been adopted by many states, and it allows people to sue drug dealers who cause the death of users.

Carroll met his untimely death in 2001 after suffering from a heart attack. Hundreds traveled from far and wide to attend his funeral. Some of the attendees who went to bid farewell included comedian Don Rickles, actor Larry Hagman and "The West Wing" actor Martin Sheen among others.

Howard Rollins

"In the Heat of the Night" cast member Rollins was known for his role as chief of detectives Virgil. Rollins was a talented actor, and before landing a role in the crime/drama TV series, he starred in movies like the 1984 mystery film "A Soldier's Story." He also co-starred with James Cagney and Jeff Daniels in the 1981 drama film "Ragtime," for which he got an Oscar nomination for his impressive performance.

Rollins only played the chief of detectives in the crime series for five seasons before his departure. According to reports, Rollins exited the program following his wish to return to filmmaking. However, other reports indicated that the actor battled drug addiction, which constantly kept him in legal trouble.

After exiting the program, Rollins starred in a few movies before meeting his untimely death in 1996. Based on reports, Rollins died of a bacterial infection after suffering from complications of Lymphoma, and the actor had learned he had cancer a few weeks before his demise. Other reports indicated that Rollins, who died at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan, was HIV- positive.

Anne-Marie Johnson

Actress Johnson was one of the "In the Heat of the Night" cast known for playing Althea Tibbs, the counselor and Virgil's wife. She decided to leave the program at the end of season six to take another role on Fox's sketch comedy series, "In Living Color."

Since then, Johnson has built a successful acting career, including appearing in the TV drama "How to Get Away with Murder," "Days of Our Lives" and "Grey's Anatomy." Johnson has been married to a fellow actor Martin Grey since 1996.

Thorne is also the brains behind the global hit animation adventure series "Ben 10." He has also written several episodes of Marvel's "Spider-Man" and "Avengers" series.

Alan Autry

Alan was one of the "In the Heat of the Night" cast, known for his role as captain "Bubba" Skinner. After the series ended, Alan Autry and his wife, Kimberlee Autry, launched Dirt Road Productions.

The production company produced the western/indie film "The Legend of Jake Kincaid," in which Alan co-starred with his wife, Kimbelee, his son Austin and his daughter Laureen. He was also the scriptwriter, producer, and director.

Besides forming a production company, Alan ventured into politics and was elected mayor of Fresno, California, in 2000. He served as mayor for two terms, and some of his achievements include maintaining a balanced budget with a surplus without cutting municipal jobs. He was also a passionate supporter of the anti-gay ban.

After serving as mayor, Alan hosted a radio talk show in Fresno which aired for two years, from 2008 to 2010. He later decided to focus on his production company and produced a movie titled "Almost Home," where he plays a homeless veteran. Alan has also appeared in the crime series "Tulsa King," which was released in 2022.

David Hart

Hart played kind-hearted cop Parker Williams in the TV drama. After the program ended, Hart continued his acting career and appeared in several movies and series. He is married to producer Anne Tabor known for the sci-fi series "Twilight Zone" and the crime/drama series "Damages." Hart and Tabor have been married since 1998.

Geoffrey Thorne

Thorne played Sgt. Wilson Sweet on "In the Heat of the Night" from 1988 until 1993. After exiting the program, he appeared in several movies, like the 1997 drama film "Road Ends" and the 1998 romance film "City of Angels," in which he co-starred with Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage.

Thorne also worked on other projects, including the 1997 drama series "Crisis Center" and the 1994 film, "Moment of Truth: Cradle of Conspiracy." After becoming a successful actor, Thorne quit his acting career when it was at its peak to focus on becoming a professional writer. Risking his career was worth it, as Thorne became a successful writer.

He co-authored "Star Trek: Titan," a series of science fiction novels set within the Star Trek media franchise. He also wrote for the TV hit series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," the mystery/thriller series "Leverage," and the TV crime/drama "Power Book II: Ghost."

Thorne is also the brains behind the global hit animation adventure series "Ben 10." He has also written several episodes of Marvel's "Spider-Man" and "Avengers" series. Besides writing, Thorne has also co-created an audio drama from Pendant Productions titled "Phantom Canyon." He is also the co-founder and writing partner of Genre19, a studio he formed in 2008 after partnering with artist Todd Harris.