Plenty of actors get bit by the directing bug, and David Hart was no different. Crime story fans might remember Hart as Officer Parket Williams from In the Heat of the Night. But while Williams was a bit scatterbrained and, let's face it, dimwitted at times, Hart was incredibly knowledgeable in his craft.

With a theater background, Hart was no stranger to the entertainment industry when he joined the cast of In the Heat of the Night. But he was also interested in diversifying himself and soon pursued a directing apprenticeship where he began learning from directors who spearheaded In the Heat of the Night episodes.

"I'm learning a lot," said Hart during an interview with the Pensacola News Journal. "This is something I've been meaning to get into for a while. I've directed in the theater, but there are a lot of technical aspects to TV that you don't have in theater or even film."

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Although the hours on television were long and grueling, Hart was happy to be surrounded by actors who were just as talented and thirsty for growth as he was.

"We're organized, so we get them [the episodes] done, but sometimes it gets a little tough," said Hart. "I was pretty blessed by the fact that I was able to get a nice job on such a good show with some fine actors," said Hart. "For now, I've put the other aspects of my job on hold."