In The Heat Of The Night Cast: Every Actor Who Has Died In Real Life (2024)

The In the Heat of the Night TV show featured a large ensemble cast of characters, though sadly, as the years have gone by there have been a number of deaths in the cast. A TV adaptation of the 1967 movie starring Sidney Poitier in a career-best performance, which itself is based on the 1965 book of the same name by John Ball, In the Heat of the Night premiered in 1988 on NBC and moved to CBS after season 5, airing on the network from season 6 until its final season 8.

The show serves as a sequel to the 1967 movie and is set contemporaneously with when the show aired, in the late-1980s to early-1990s. Howard Rollins plays Poitier's character, Virgil Tibbs, and Carroll O'Connor co-stars as William O. "Bill" Gillespie, his partner in Tibbs' hometown of Sparta, Mississippi. Like the film, this police procedural deals with themes of racism, police brutality, and incompetence, and introduces frustrations with small-town politics. The series features an impressive cast, but over 30 decades after the show's premiere, many cast members have passed away.

Carroll O'Connor As William O. "Bill" Gillespie

Date Of Birth: August 2, 1924

• Active Since: 1951

Actor: Carroll O'Connor, who passed in June 21, 2001, at the age of 76 from a heart attack, was a prolific television actor. Best known for playing Archie Bunker in All in the Family, O'Connor won four Emmy Awards for his work as the Bunker patriarch. He also won an Emmy for his portrayal of Bill Gillespie. For those performances, he also earned five Golden Globe nominations each, winning once for All in the Family. O'Connor's other notable roles included performances in movies like Kelly's Heroes as General Holt and Point Blank as Brewster.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Police Chief Bill Gillespie is the co-lead of In the Heat of the Night and a tough but honorable officer in Sparta. Chief Gillespie initially bristles against Tibbs, seeming adversarial like his character in the film, but as the series goes on, Bill comes to respect Tibbs and even sees him as a friend and confidant.

Hugh O'Connor As Lonnie Jamison

Date Of Birth: April 7, 1962

• Active Since: 1984

Actor: Hugh O'Connor, the adopted son of Carroll O'Connor, had a troubled life which led to him only having two roles in his career. The first came in the 1984 TV movie Brass where he plays James Flynn, and the other was his starring performance in In the Heat of the Night.

Tragically, O'Connor died at the age of 32 on March 28, 1995, by way of suicide. O'Connor's drug issues were well known at the time, stemming from an early battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma which left him dependent on prescription medication (via The New York Times).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Lonnie Jamison is a police officer who eventually works his way up the ranks to Acting Chief of Detectives on the Sparta police force. Jamison is a serious and professional officer who is convinced of the importance of his job. He's fiercely loyal to his friends and coworkers, and friendly and amiable in general. Jamison's straightforward attitude belies a dry sense of humor.

Howard Rollins As Virgil Tibbs

Date Of Birth: October 17, 1950

• Active Since: 1970

Actor: Howard Rollins had the difficult task of replacing Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night but was up to the challenge, appearing in 121 episodes. Rollins also had notable television roles in the miniseries King as Andrew Young and Wildside as Bannister Sparks. He only had a handful of film roles, but his performance in Ragtime as Coalhouse Walker Jr. earned him Supporting Actor nominations from the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.

Sadly, Rollins struggled with drug addiction for much of his life and he was fired from In the Heat of the Night after season 6 for issues resulting from his addiction (via The New York Times). He ended up passing away on December 8, 1996, at the age of 46 due to AIDs, stemming from drug use (via the Reading Eagle).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Virgil Tibbs is the star of In the Heat of the Night, and returns from Philadelphia to be a captain in the Sparta police force. Tibbs is a bit snobbish when it comes to Sparta, often criticizing the police department for its lack of technical savvy and modern thinking. Despite this, he is an expert investigator and a great friend of the town. Due to Rollins' legal troubles, Tibbs was written off the show, said to have left Sparta to practice law.

Lois Nettleton As Joanna St. John

Date Of Birth: August 16, 1927

• Active Since: 1949

Actor: Lois Nettleton passed away on January 18, 2008, at the age of 80 from a brain tumor. She was hard at work acting right up until that point. A prolific TV, movie, and even voice actor, Nettleton appeared in numerous productions. On television, she played Christina Stockwood in All That Glitters, Maude Wendell in Centennial, and Sue Kramer in Accidental Family. Her film performances include Belle Morgan in Butterfly and Hilda 'Bergie' Bergstrom in Come Fly with Me.

Nettleton won two Emmys, one for her performance as Susan B. Anthony in the television film The American Woman: Profiles in Courage and another for playing Mandy in an episode of Insight, "A Gun for Mandy". She also notably voiced Athena in Herc's Adventures and Maleficent in House of Mouse and Mickey's House of Villains.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Joanna St. John was a recurring character in season 2 of In the Heat of the Night. She was the owner of the Magnolia Cafe and a brief love interest for Chief Gillespie. At the end of season 2, it's revealed that Joanna was formerly a sex worker, causing Gillespie to break up with her and for Joanna to leave town out of shame. It's an '80s TV moment that didn't age very well.

Carl Weathers As Hampton Forbes

Date Of Birth: January 14, 1948

• Active Since: 1973

Actor: Actor, NFL linebacker, and director, Carl Weathers had a long and successful career before he passed away on February 2, 2024, at the age of 76 from atherosclerosis. Weathers was only ever nominated for one major award in his career, the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, but Carl Weathers' movie and TV career is much more important than any award could define.

In film, he played Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise, Colonel Al Dillon in Predator, Chubbs in Happy Gilmore, and voiced Combat Carl in Toy Story 4. On television, Weathers starred as Adam Beaudreaux in Street Justice, State's Attorney Mark Jefferies in Chicago Justice and Chicago P.D., and Beau in Colony.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Hampton Forbes arrived on In the Heat of the Night in season 7 as the replacement for Howard Rollins. Forbes was hired by the Sparta city council after the controversial demotion of Chief Gillespie, making Forbes the first Black chief of the department. A retired police chief from Memphis, Tennesse, Forbes immediately becomes friends with Gillespie, ensuring both detectives work on protecting the town.

In The Heat Of The Night Supporting Cast & Characters Who Have Passed Away

Some Notable Actors Appeared In Minor Roles In In The Heat Of The Night

Burgess Meredith as Judge Cully: Burgess Meredith appeared in three episodes of In the Heat of the Night as Judge Cully. Meredith is best known for playing one of the earliest live-action Batman villains, the Penguin, but he was also twice nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscars for his performances in Rocky as Mickey and The Day of the Locust as Harry Greener. Meredith passed away on September 9, 1997, at the age of 89 due to complications with Alzheimer's disease.

Dan Biggers as Dr. Frank Robb:Dr. Frank Robb is the county coroner in Sparta and so frequently appears in later seasons when bodies are being investigated. Robb is played by Dan Biggers, who passed away on December 5, 2011, at age 80. Biggers' TV credits include Senator Harling in Savannah and Judge Byrnes in I'll Fly Away. His film performances include playing Uncle Roy in Elizabethtown and Harry Cram in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Dennis Lipscomb as Jim Findlay: Dennis Lipscomb, who died on July 30, 2014, at the age of 72, played Jim Findlay in a handful of episodes. Jim is the mayor of Sparta. Lipscomb appeared in TV shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as President Ulysses S. Grant, and Cop Rock as Sidney Weitz. His film roles include Raymond Hammer in Automatic and Trenton in Under Siege.

Margaret Blye as Chief Gillespie's Girlfriend: Known only as Chief Gillespie's Girlfriend, Margaret Blye appeared in four episodes of In the Heat of the Night. She also appeared in TV shows like Kodiak as Maggie Farrow and movies like The Italian Job as Lorna. Blye died on March 24, 2016, at age 73.

Ed Grady as Morris Maynor/Dr. Cameron/Jimmy Ray: Ed Grady plays multiple characters in In the Heat of the Night. Grady passed away on December 10, 2012, at age 89. His notable TV performances include Gramps in Dawson's Creek and multiple characters in Matlock. Grady's movie performances include Harry in The Notebook and Dr. Melinik in Lolita.

Ted Manson as Sam Byrnes/ Mr. Halloran/Elmer/Farmer:Ted Manson, who plays multiple characters in the series, passed away on June 1, 2008, from lung cancer. He had a few small roles throughout his career in TV shows like Matlock and Foxworthy's Big Night Out. Most audiences will recognize him for his movie performances, including Chip in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Mr. Daws in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Colonel Murphy in Sweet Home Alabama.

Mel Stewart as Calvin Peterson: Mel Stewart plays Calvin Peterson in In the Heat of the Night and the prolific film and TV actor passed away on February 24, 2002, at 72 from Alzheimer's disease. Stewart is best known for playing Henry Jefferson in All in the Family, Billy Melrose in Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Raymond Simmons in One in a Million. His film credits include Dr. Graves in Bride of Re-Animator and Fowler in Cry Uncle!

Fran Bennett as Ruda Gibson: Fran Bennett died on September 12, 2021, at the age of 84, and played Virgil's maternal aunt, Ruda Gibson​​​​​. Other television performances include Head Nurse Lenore Ritt in Nightingales and Chief Harris in Sunset Beach. Her film credits include Ruth in The Manor and Dr. Christine Heffner in the meta-horror Wes Craven's New Nightmare.

Bob Penny as Alvin P. Epp:Alvin P. Epp is a corrupt realtor and attorney with ties to the mob, and he's played by Bob Penny, who died on December 25, 2022, at age 87. Penny appeared in movies like Mississippi Burning as Curtis Foy and Sweet Home Alabama as Wallace Buford. His other television credits include Harold in Still the King.

Adair Simon as Emily Trundel: Adair Simon plays Emily Trundel, wife of millionaire V.J. Trundel. Simon, who passed away on November 8, 2018, at 68, only had a few roles to her name, including small TV performances in I'll Fly Away and Final Witness.

Stuart Culpepper as Judge Sims/Judge Colter: Stuart Culpepper, who passed away on June 12, 2022, at the age of 84, appeared in ten episodes of In the Heat of the Night as Judge Sims and Judge Colter. Culpepper voiced Stan in the TV show Frisky Dingo and played Ray Towner in the film Norma Rae.

Pat Hingle as Roy Eversole:Roy Eversole is the hot-tempered step-father of Parker Williams, and he's played by Pat Hingle, who died on January 3, 2009, at age 84 due to myelodysplasia. On television, Hingle played Horace Ford in The Twilight Zone episode "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" and Dr. John Chapman in Gunsmoke. Hingle's notable film roles include Mr. Dennit Sr. in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Commissioner Jim Gordon in the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher Batman films.

John Wesley as Vic Glendon: John Wesley plays Vic Glendon, Harriet DeLong's ex-husband and Eugene's father. Wesley passed away on September 7, 2019, at the age of 72 due to complications arising from multiple myeloma. Wesley played Al Smith in Oliver Stone's World Trade Center and Tony in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. On TV, he voiced Principal Pratchett in Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad and Mr. Jim in Martin.

Christopher Allport as Myron Dutton:Christopher Allport plays District Attorney Myron Dutton in a few episodes ofIn the Heat of the Night. The actor passed away on January 25, 2008, at age 60, and was tragically killed by an avalanche in the San Gabriel Mountains along with two other men (via Fox News). Allport played Sam Tiler in the Jack Frost franchise, Max Waxman in To Live and Die in L.A., and Nicky in Savage Weekend.

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