Howard Rollins Jr. spent his last days dressed as a woman, suffering from incurable disease
- Celebritist learned from African American Registry that American actor Howard Rollins Jr.’s career was ruined before his demise.
- It was also revealed that the actor, who was HIV positive, found dressing as a woman cathartic in his final days.
- The then 46-year-old died of complications from a painful disease.
Howard Ellsworth Rollins Jr. was an American stage film and television actor
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT's #HowardERollins had his breakout role in RAGTIME alongside #JamesCagney + #ElizabethMcGovern. Do you remember it? pic.twitter.com/Y9JjIqBVPF
— getTV (@gettv) July 11, 2017
He first appeared in the Dino Laurentiis/Milos Forman motion picture Ragtime in 1981.
His impressive performance earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture.
Not only that, he was also cast in several roles and his fame rose steadily.
Meet Howard Rollins, Jr. One of my Heroes... pic.twitter.com/DaQGNs6l
— The Tweet Sniper💥 (@IWashington) December 3, 2012
All that came crashing down like a house of cards when the late actor took to sniffing cocaine.
His downward spiral first started when he was arrested for possessing cocaine in Louisiana in 1988.
Needless to say, he was arrested on three separate occasions for driving under the influence of cocaine.
His incessant legal issues led to his being dropped from the series In The Heat of The Night and the loss of opportunity to be cast in other movies.
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT airs Monday–Thursday 9am–12pm and Friday at 9am only.
— getTV (@gettv) July 6, 2018
Did you know co-star #HowardRollins got his start on soaps? The @getTV blog has the story: https://t.co/L32FJiqEPi pic.twitter.com/B8ZUZLY8Xh
He later realized his mistakes and tried all he could to salvage the situation, which led him to appear in a guest role in New York Undercover and some other minor roles.
To cap it all, he later tested positive for HIV.
With his failing health and fast falling acting career, it would appear the actor lost his mind as he took to dressing as a woman before his eventual death.
It's a 4 pack of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT starting at 7 pm ET - Tibbs (#HowardRollins) tries to reunite his family and confronts a cousin. pic.twitter.com/JSeG8Ur9nt
— getTV (@gettv) September 18, 2017
Sources revealed he dressed like a woman in sparkling gowns, costly wigs and high heels and kept telling himself he was a woman.
He found that singular act cathartic even when he was falling in and out of illness.
It was also revealed that the then 46-year-old actor not only dressed like a woman but went to look for transvestites.
Sadly, he finally died on December 8, 1996 from lymphoma.
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