Every show needs a dimwitted character. While plenty of these characters are utilized for comedic relief. Think of Gilligan from Gilligan's Island, or Ted from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In good shows, these characters provide comedic relief. But in truly great shows, they provide as much emotional value as they do comedic.

David Hart might have played the absent-minded Parker Williams on In the Heat of the Night, but the actor himself certainly wasn't stupid.

During an interview with The Winston-Salem Journal, Hart revealed that original scripts from In the Heat of the Night had created a much more dimwitted version of Williams than Hart was willing to portray.

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"If I did it the way they wrote it, he would have no brains at all," said Hart during an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal.

Hart, a Southern native, also dialed back his rural accent for the character "If I twanged as much as I did when I grew up, I [Parker] would have a stump's IQ," said Hart.

Like many of the actors in In the Heat of the Night, Hart considered his costars to be family. "Alan Autry is like my brother," said Hart.

The actor was also thrilled at the opportunity to work with a television great like Carroll O'Connor. "We have a wonderful bunch of people," said Hart. "You've got to admire Carroll's work because he's an icon. Archie Bunker's chair is in the Smithsonian. Now sometimes his idea of what's right is not necessarily my idea of what's right, but he's the boss, and you just have to find ways to compromise or just keep your mouth shut."