By Jimmy
American actor, Richard Roundtree, considered the “first black action film hero” for his 1971 role in “Shaft”, died on Tuesday at the age of 81.
Known for opening new doors for black actors, Richard Roundtree died with his family “after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.”
“Shaft”, in which he plays the eponymous private detective John Shaft, was immensely successful upon its release and led to several sequels and series. More than fifty years later, Richard Roundtree still appeared on screen, notably in the series “Cherish the Day”, and the comedy “Moving On” in 2022.
Ikejabird brings you key facts about this iconic black action hero.
Who was Richard Roundtree?
Richard Arnold Roundtree was born on July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York, to John Roundtree and Kathryn Watkins. He attended New Rochelle High School, where he graduated in 1961. He subsequently attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
However, he eventually dropped out of college in 1963, in order to begin his acting career.
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He started out as a model and stage actor
Roundtree started his professional career around 1963, as he began working as a model at the Ebony Fashion Fair after being scouted by Eunice W. Johnson. He then began modeling in advertisements for products such as Johnson Products’ Duke hair grease and Salem cigarettes.
In 1967, Roundtree joined the Negro Ensemble Company: he then went on to play his first theatrical role by portraying boxer Jack Johnson in the company’s production of The Great White Hope. He also acted in the Off-Off-Broadway production of her play Mau Mau Room, by the Negro Ensemble Company Workshop Festival.
He is the first black action film hero
Considered “the first Black action hero”, Roundtree was credited with having an impact on the rise of African-American leading actors in Hollywood projects. This is thanks to his successful performances in the blaxploitation genre.
A leading man in early 1970s blaxploitation films, he gained widespread popularity through his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the action movie Shaft (1971). He reprised his role in its sequels, Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). He also played the same role in the eponymous television series, aired by CBS between 1973 and 1974.
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In 1981, he appeared opposite Laurence Olivier and Ben Gazzara in the epic war film Inchon, directed by Terence Young. In 1984, he starred again as a private detective, Diehl Swift, in the buddy-crime comedy movie City Heat, acting alongside Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds.
On television, he played the slave Sam Bennett in the 1977 television mini-series Roots, and then starred as Dr. Daniel Reubens in the soap opera Generations from 1989 to 1991.[2]
Although Roundtree worked throughout the entirety of the 1990s, many of his films from that era were not well-received publicly.
He was divorced twice
Richard Rountree’s first marriage was to Mary Jane Grant in 1963. The couple had two children, before divorcing in 1973. He dated actress and TV personality Cathy Lee Crosby shortly thereafter.
Roundtree later married Karen M. Ciernia in 1980; they had three children together, before divorcing in 1998.
He died of cancer
In 1993, Roundtree was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy.
Roundtree died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles on October 24, 2023, at the age of 81.
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