- Roundtree died Tuesday surrounded by his family after battling cancer
- He is best known for his role as private investigator John Shaft in the 1971 film
- The successful film “Blaxploitation” brought him dozens of roles in the following years
Richard Roundtree, who helped define cinematic cool with his iconic title role in “Shaft” and its sequels, has died at the age of 81.
According to Deadline, Roundtree died Tuesday afternoon after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.
In 2019, the film star reprized his Shaft role with Samuel L. Jackson playing his son.
Roundtree first played the role of detective John Shaft in 1971’s “Shaft,” which was directed by photographer and composer-filmmaker Gordon Parks and featured a classic soundtrack recorded by Isaac Hayes.
Classic star: Richard Roundtree, who helped define cinematic cool with his iconic title role in “Shaft” and its sequels, has died at age 81 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer; seen in 2022
Iconic Role: Roundtree first played the role of detective John Shaft in 1971’s “Shaft,” which was directed by photographer and composer-filmmaker Gordon Parks and featured a classic soundtrack recorded by Isaac Hayes
Shaft initially received mixed reviews, with some critics objecting to the film’s harsh language and occasionally brutal violence.
Others criticized the film for not offering a more dignified character for Roundtree and other black actors, although Parks responded to a critical essay in the New York Times in 1971.
The original writer had criticized Shaft for focusing on a private detective in the style of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe rather than a more sophisticated drama in the style of Jack Nicholson – starring Five Easy Pieces
“I don’t believe the black choice is limited to Five Easy Pieces or Stepin Fetchit,” Parks wrote in defense, referring to the actor notorious for his racist portrayals of lazy black men.
Although “Shaft” polarized critics, it was a popular success, grossing an astonishing $12 million on a budget of just $500,000 (that’s over $373 million when accounting for inflation).
Roundtree returned the following year to reprise his role in Shaft’s Big Score! to repeat, which was also a commercial success and is now rated even more positively than the original by some modern critics.
Fan Favorite: “Shaft” initially received mixed reviews, with some critics criticizing the film’s harsh language and occasional violence, but it was a hit with audiences and at the box office
Take two: Roundtree was back the following year to reprise his role in Shaft’s Big Score! to repeat, which was also a commercial success and is now rated even more positively than the original by some modern critics