Richard Roundtree, who played detective John Shaft in five movies and a TV series, as well as Sam Bennett on the TV mini-series Roots, died on October 24 2023 at the age of 81. The cause was pancreatic cancer.
Richard Roundtree was born on July 9 1942 in New Rochelle, New York. He attended New Rochelle High School and played on their football team. After graduating from high school in 1961, he attended Southern Illinois University on a football scholarship. He left Southern Illinois University in 1963 to pursue a career as a male model. He appeared in ads for Salem cigarettes and Duke hair products. It was in 1967 that he moved to New York City to study acting. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company. In 1971 he played the role of boxer Jack Johnson in the company's production of The Great White Hope. It was while he was in that production that he learned of auditions for the movie Shaft.
Richard Roundtree made his film debut in Shaft (1971), playing the lead role of private eye John Shaft. The movie proved to be a success and led to two sequels in the Seventies, Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). It also spurred a cycle of movies known rightly or wrongly as Blaxpoloitation. He starred in the TV series Shaft, based on the movies, which ran on CBS during the 1973-1974 season. In the Seventies he appeared in the movies Embassy (1972), Charley-One-Eye (1973), Earthquake (1974), Man Friday (1975), Diamonds (1975), Portrait of a Hitman (1979), Escape to Athena (1979), Game for Vultures (1979), and Day of the Assassin (1979). In addition to the Shaft TV series, Mr. Roundtree appeared on television in the TV movies Parachute to Paradise and Firehouse. He appeared in the mini-series Roots and guest starred on the TV show Love Boat.
In the Eighties Richard Roundtree appeared in the movies Inchon (1981), An Eye for an Eye (1981), Q (1982), One Down, Two to Go (1982), Young Warriors (1983), The Big Score (1983), Killpoint (1984), City Heat (1984), Opposing Force (1986), Jocks (1986), Maniac Cop (1988), Party Line (1988), Angel III: The Final Chapter (1988), Miami Cops (1989), La vendetta (1989), Night Visitor (1989), Crack House (1989), The Banker (1989), Bad Jim (1989), and Gypsy Angels (1989). On television he starred on the TV shows Outlaws and Generations. He appeared in the mini-series A.D. He guest starred on the shows CHiPs; Magnum, P.I.; Masquerade; Hollywood Beat; ABC Afterschool Specials; Murder, She Wrote; A Different World; Amen; Beauty and the Beast; and MacGyver.
In 2000 Richard Roundtree reprised his role as John Shaft, the uncle of the protagonist (also named John Shaft) in the movie Shaft (2000). In the Nineties he also appeared in the movies A Time to Die (1991), Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight (1991), Sins of the Night (1993), Deadly Rivals (1993), Mind Twister (1993), Ballistic (1995), Se7en (1995), Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored (1995), Theodore Rex (1995), Original Gangstas (1996), George of the Jungle (1997) and Steel (1997). On television he starred on the shows Buddies, 413 Hope St. and Rescue 77. He had recurring roles on the show Roc and and Soul Food. He guest starred on the shows The Young Riders; Beverly Hills, 90120; Hearts are Wild; L.A. Law; Hangin' with Mr. Cooper; Renegade; The Wayans Bros.; Dream On; Touched by an Angel; The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; Profiler; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; and Linc's.
In the Naughts Mr. Roundtree was a regular on the series Diary of a Single Mom. He had recurring roles in the TV shows Desperate Housewives, Heroes, and Lincoln Heights. He guest starred on the shows Resurrection Blvd., Alias, The Closer; Blade: The Series; Grey's Anatomy; Close to Home; Knight Rider; and Meet the Browns. He appeared in the movies Antitrust (2001), Hawaiian Gardens (2001), Corky Romano (2001), Al's Lads (2002), Boat Trip (2002), Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004), Brick (2005), Wild Seven (2006), All the Days Before Tomorrow (2007), Vegas Vampires (2007), Speed Racer (2008), Set Apart (2009), and The Confidant (2010).
In 2019 Richard Roundtree reprised his role as John Shaft one last time, playing the father of John Shaft, Jr. and the grandfather of J. J. Shaft. He appeared in the movies This Bitter Earth (2012), Collar (2015), Retreat! (2016), What Men Want (2019), Duke (2020), and Haunting of the Mary Celeste (2020). He was a regular on the shows Being Mary Jane, Family Reunion, and Cherish the Day. He had recurring roles on the shows Chicago Fire, The Player, and Star. He guest starred on the shows Private Practice, Lethal Weapon, and Sacrifice.
It is safe to say that Richard Roundtree will always be best remembered as John Shaft. He was perfect in the role, widely considered the first Black action hero. That having been said, he played many other roles and he played them well. He played the charming carriage driver Sam Bennett in Roots. In Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored, he played the iceman Cleve. In Man Friday he played the character of the title, who challenges Robinson Crusoe's notions of white supremacy. On the TV series he played the none too honest grocery store co-owner Hardy Lester. Throughout his career he played a wide variety of characters. While Richard Roundtree will always be best remembered as John Shaft, he did so much more.
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