Richard Roundtree, star of “Shaft,” “Roots,” and “Generations,” has died at the age of 81.
The actor succumbed after a short battle with pancreatic cancer, TheWrap has learned. Roundtree’s family was at his side when he died. His agency, Artists & Partners, confirmed his death.
“Artists & Representatives Agency mourns the loss of our friend and client Richard Roundtree,” the agency said in a statement obtained by TheWrap. “His trailblazing career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The actor starred in a number of landmark films, including 1971’s “Shaft” and its two sequels, 1972’s “Shaft’s Big Score!” and 1973’s “Shaft in Africa.” Roundtree was nominated for a New Star of the Year at the Golden Globes following the first movie.
Roundtree also starred in “Inchon” and the 1984 Clint Eastwood film “City Heat.” His television credits included the role of Sam Bennett in the revered miniseries “Roots” and Dr. Daniel Reubens in “Generations.”
Upon its release in 1977, “Roots” immediately had a strong grip on American audiences. Approximately 100 million people tuned in for the eighth and final episode of the series.
But it was his debut film role in “Shaft” that most audiences will forever link to the actor. As he once said, playing the character would have an enormous impact on the shape of his career and his fans around the world: “I constantly deal with being called Shaft, and it never ceases to blow me away with the impact that character had on my life and my fans’ lives.”
As the first Black private investigator ever depicted on the big screen, Roundtree became an inspiration for many seemingly overnight. The movie and its subsequent sequels were so popular and profitable that MGM wanted to make four more, but Roundtree said no.
He later explained to Roger Ebert, “As much as possible, I’d like every role to be totally different from the one before. If you do the same thing too often, it gets to be the only thing you can do.”
While Roundtree was never quite able to shake the aura of “Shaft,” he moved on to other projects that he enjoyed. He was proud of 1975’s “Man Friday,” which costarred Peter O’Toole. As Roundtree told Ebert, “It made me think maybe the pendulum is swinging away from violence and back toward something people can enjoy. Something with some laughs in it, like ‘Man Friday’ has some laughs, along with everything else.”
“It’s a role I’m completely happy with, and that’s something I haven’t always been able to say,” he added.
Of his time shooting “City Heat,” the actor told Uproxx, “You know what my takeaway from that film is? I got to see the Clint Eastwood.”
Roundtree’s television career also included a few years on the daytime drama “Generations” as Dr. Daniel Reubens and also in season two of “Beverly Hills: 90210.” But in 2000, “Shaft” came calling, and Roundtree returned to star alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Chrisitan Bale, Busta Rhymes and Jeffrey Wright.
He also joined the cast of the 2019 “Shaft” film, and admitted that of the five movies, that one was his favorite. Roundtree said, “I am proudest of this particular one because of the ground it covers. It’s funny, it transcends all of the earlier ones and [offers] three generations of this character.”
He added, “My grandson, to see him evolve from the nerd that he initially is to owning his last name, is a wonderful thing to see. This was a joy project for me, being a part of it, and I’m glad that I was included in it.” The 2019 movie spanned three generations: Roundtree’s Shaft, Jackson’s Shaft, and Jessie T. Usher’s John “JJ” Shaft, Jr.
Roundtree joined the cast of Ava Duvernary’s “Cherish the Day” in 2021. The anthology series tells the relationship story of one couple. Each episode of the show is one day in the couple’s life. Roundtree was cast as Mandeville “MV” St. James, the widowed father of Joy Bryant’s Sunday St. James. His last episode debuted in November 2022.
In the same year, Roundtree also starred opposite Jane Fonda in “Moving On.” He admitted he was surprised to learn that they both had fathers who “were not that communicative” and said, “So we had a lot of similarities, which I thought was incredible. Those thoughts never crossed my mind when I think of Jane Fonda.”
Deadline first reported the news.
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