Richard Roundtree … 🕊 💖

(July 9, 1942 – October 24, 2023)

Transitioned –
He was 81

“The first black action hero”

For his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft, and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2019.

For his performance in the original film, Roundtree was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor in 1972.

The cause of his death was pancreatic cancer.

Roundtree began his professional career around 1963.

Roundtree began modeling in the Ebony Fashion Fair after being scouted by Eunice W. Johnson.

After his modeling success with the Fashion Fair, Roundtree began modeling for such products as Johnson Products’ Duke hair grease.

In 1967, Roundtree joined the Negro Ensemble Company. His first role while a part of the company was portraying boxing legend Jack Johnson in the company’s production of The Great White Hope.

Roundtree was a leading man in early 1970s blaxploitation films, his best-known role being detective John Shaft in the action movie, Shaft (1971) and its sequels, Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973).

Roundtree also appeared opposite Laurence Olivier and Ben Gazzara in Inchon (1981).

On television, he played the slave Sam Bennett in the 1977 television series Roots and Dr. Daniel Reubens on Generations from 1989 to 1991.