US actor
“Shaft” star Richard Roundtree dies at 81
Richard Roundtree is dead. The US actor died at the age of 81 in his home in Los Angeles. photo
© Lochow/dpa
Coolness had a name in the 70s: Shaft. Directed by Gordon Parks, Richard Roundtree became the first black action hero and the face of an entire movement.
As the first black action hero, Roundtree became one of the faces of the so-called blaxploitation movement in the 1970s with his starring role as the cool New York detective in “Shaft” (1971), directed by Gordon Parks. The movement developed into a film genre in the late 1960s and reflected African American self-confidence.
Based on a novel by Ernest Tidyman, “Shaft” was originally intended for a white actor. But Parks insisted on casting Roundtree after seeing him at a casting. Roundtree reprized his role in the sequels “Shaft’s Big Score!” (1972) and “Shaft in Africa” (1973).
Samuel L. Jackson honors Richard Roundtree
Fellow actor Samuel L. Jackson, who also played John Shaft in a remake, expressed his sadness at Roundtree’s death. “His death leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but certainly in many of you as well,” Jackson wrote in an Instagram post. Roundtree was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 1993 and was an intensive advocate for awareness about male breast cancer.
Born on July 9, 1942 in New Rochelle, New York, Roundtree began his career as a stage actor. After “Shaft” he appeared in a number of films, including “Earthquake” (1974) opposite Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner and “Man Friday” (1975) opposite Peter O’Toole.