Kyle Kaplan / Warner Bros. / Courtesy of the Everett Collection
Richard Roundtree, who made his breakthrough with his signature role in the Shaft film series, passed away this afternoon, October 24th, surrounded by his family at his bedside after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81.
Roundtree’s career spanned five decades and included everything from his most popular blaxploitation role to a very early appearance on “As the World Turns” in 1956 to eight episodes of “Cherish the Day” last year.
He is best known for playing detective John Shaft in the 1971 action thriller and its sequels, Shaft’s Big Score!. (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973), as well as the short-lived 1973 television series Shaft.
For his performance in the original film, Roundtree was nominated for a Golden Globe “New Star of the Year” and was hailed as the first black action hero. More importantly, the films made Roundtree a cultural hero, a symbol of black power on the screen, at the box office and beyond.
Decades later, Roundtree reprized his role in the 2000 John Singleton film Shaft, starring Samuel L. Jackson, and in the 2019 Tim Story-directed sequel.
Roundtree’s many films also include 1981’s “Inchon” in which he appeared alongside Laurence Olivier and Ben Gazzara, 1984’s “City Heat” alongside Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, as well as “Se7en”, “George of the Jungle”, “Body of Influence” and “Amityville: A New Generation.” and What Men Want. He was last seen in the Paul Weitz comedy “Moving On” last year.
On television, Roundtree played slave Sam Bennett in the acclaimed 1977 miniseries “Roots.” He has had leading roles in series such as Generations, 413 Hope St., Alias, Diary of a Single Mom, Buddies, Desperate Housewives, Soul Food, Being Mary Jane and Family Reunion. Most recently, he starred in the second season of Ava DuVernay’s OWN series “Cherish the Day” last year.
Roundtree’s death was confirmed to Deadline by his agency Artists & Representatives and his longtime manager Patrick McMinn.
“Artists & Representatives Agency mourns the loss of our friend and client Richard Roundtree,” the agency said in a statement. “His groundbreaking career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his lasting legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”