In the heat of the night, why did Althea leave?

No TV drama in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s had a more punch than In the Heat of the Night.

Anne-Marie Johnson played the guidance counselor who was held captive by a murderer, was raped by an ex-boyfriend, and witnessed the suicide of a student.Why did she leave before the final season?

Anne-Marie left the show at the end of Season 6 in order to get a job on In Living Color.She played a guest-starring role on Melrose Place.

The timing was right and Anne-Marie was fortunate to move on to other respected projects.

She said that Howard Rollins, who played her on-screen husband, was moving on and storylines were being created for other characters.The progression of a TV series is natural.I wanted to leave before Althea was phased out.

Howard was written off the show in 1993 due to his legal problems, which included three arrests for driving under the influence and a cocaine possession charge.He came back for three episodes in Season 7.

At the beginning of the police procedural's final season, it was revealed that Althea and Virgil were getting a divorce.They were no longer in Sparta because she moved to Philadelphia with their kids to be closer to her parents.

Anne-Marie has nice things to say about her late co-star Howard, who passed away in 1996 at the age of 46.

Before our first scene, we had never met each other.I will never forget that day.It was warm and humid.The duo had no choice but to jump in with both feet outside of a church.

I hugged Howard and teased him after I walked up to him.Anne-Marie remembered that they were married.Our chemistry was simple and organic.We enjoyed working together.

The JAG alum said that Howard was a dynamic talent and that the pair relied on one another to get through long workdays.She confessed that they spent more time laughing and joking together than anything else.

We had to lighten the atmosphere because we had such heavy scenes to do every week.

Anne-Marie has had roles in shows such as How to Get Away with Murder, House of Payne, and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later.