David Hart (born February 6, 1954) is an American actor and singer best known for his portrayal of Sgt. Parker Williams on the television series '' In the Heat of the Night'' (1988 to 1995). He has appeared in numerous films. Hart continues to perform in theaters around the country, most recently performing as Charlemagne in '' Pippin'' and Oscar in ''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televis ...

''. He has also appeared in numerous commercials, including IHOP Restaurants, Maxwell House Coffee,

Coors Light Coors Light is a 4.2% ABV light American lager beer sold by Coors (currently Molson Coors) of Chicago, Illinois. It was first produced in 1978 by the Coors Brewing Company. They had briefly produced a different low-alcohol beer by the same n ...

John Deere Deere & Company, Trade name, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, Transmission (mechanical device), transmi ...

and GE.

Early life

Hart was raised primarily by his mother, Jeanette Lassiter Anderson, in

Panama City, Florida Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Route 98 in Florida, U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee and Pensacola, Florida, Pe ...

. He attended local schools. His father, Lloyd Hart Jr., encouraged him to attend Chipola Junior College (now

Chipola College Chipola College is a public college in Marianna, Florida, United States. It is part of the Florida College System. History The school was founded in 1947 as Chipola Junior College; its name was changed in 2003 after the college developed sever ...

) after seeing him perform in ''

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...

'', produced at Rutherford High School in Panama City. Hart was given an acting scholarship to go to the college in

Marianna, Florida Marianna is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Florida, United States, and it is home to Chipola College, part of the state's public system. The official nickname of Marianna is "The City of Southern Charm". The population was 6,24 ...

Personal life and family

Hart is married to Anne Tabor. Hart has three children from a previous marriage, one of whom is author, actress, comedian, and YouTuber Mamrie Hart.

Musical career

Hart recorded the song "Let It Snow" for the 1991 ''In the Heat of the Night'' Christmas CD ''Christmas Time's A Comin. He was joined on the recording by A-Team Nashville studio pianist

Hargus "Pig" Robbins Hargus Melvin Robbins (January 18, 1938 – January 30, 2022), known by his nickname "Pig", was an American session keyboard player. He played on records for many artists, including Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Loretta Ly ...

. The song was produced by co-stars

Randall Franks Randall Franks is an American entertainer recognized for his multifaceted career in the arts. He is known for his roles as a film and television actor, author, and as a Bluegrass music, bluegrass singer and musician. Franks is proficient in playi ...

and

Alan Autry Carlos Alan Autry Jr. (also known for a time as Carlos Brown; born July 31, 1952) is an American actor, politician, and former football player. During his brief career in the National Football League, he played as a quarterback and was known as ...

Filmography

Television

* ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...

'' – "Black Widows" (2000) as Detective Cranston * ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 epis ...

'' – "Tender Age" (1998) as Carlin * ''

Before Women Had Wings ''Before Women Had Wings'' is a 1997 American drama television film directed by Lloyd Kramer and written by Connie May Fowler, based on her 1996 semi-autobiographical novel. It stars Ellen Barkin, Oprah Winfrey, Tina Majorino, Julia Stiles, ...

'' – (1997) as the sheriff * ''

Picket Fences ''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on CBS in the United States. ...

'' – "To Forgive is Divine" (1996) as Dan Patterson * '' A Father for Charlie'' – (1995) as Woodrow * '' In the Heat of the Night'' (1988-1995) as Officer and Sergeant Parker Williams * ''

Aaron's Way ''Aaron's Way'' is an American family television drama series that aired on NBC from March 9 to May 25, 1988. It stars Merlin Olsen as Aaron Miller, the husband and father of an Amish family that moves to California and follows the family's atte ...

'' – "Patches of Light" (1988) as Travis

Films

* '' Forgiven: The Legend of Jake Kincaid'' (2002) as Sheriff Bob Logan * ''Before Women Had Wings'' (1999) as Sheriff * ''Standoff'' (1998) as Agent Blond * ''Land of the Free'' (1997) as Byrd * ''To the Limit'' (1995) as Bodyguard * ''A Father for Charlie'' (1995) as Woodrow * ''Three Wishes'' (1995) as Brian's Father * ''

The Real McCoy "The real McCoy" is an idiom and metaphor used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g. "he's the real McCoy". The phrase has been the subject of numerous false etymologies. History The p ...

'' (1993) as Business Man * ''In the Line of Duty'' (1991) * '' Disorganized Crime'' (1989) as Proprietor * ''The House on Carroll Street'' (1988) as Stage Manager * ''War Party'' (1988) as Rookie Cop * ''Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius'' (1987) * ''

Legal Eagles ''Legal Eagles'' is a 1986 American legal romantic comedy thriller film directed by Ivan Reitman, written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. from a story by Reitman and the screenwriters, and starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hanna ...

'' (1986) as Marchek * ''

Silver Bullet Silver Bullet(s) or The Silver Bullet may refer to: * Silver bullet, in folklore, a weapon against supernatural creatures; metaphorically, a simple, effective solution to a problem Film and television * The Silver Bullet (1935 film), ''The Silve ...

'' (1985) as Pete Sylvester * ''

Fandango Fandango is a lively partner dance originating in Portugal and Spain, usually in triple metre, triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, tambourine or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is u ...

'' (1985) as Cecil * '' The River'' (1984) as Harley * '' The Island'' (1980) as Attendant

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, David 1954 births Living people American Episcopalians American male film actors American male television actors Chipola College alumni Male actors from Florida People from Marianna, Florida