NNPA IN MEMORIAM: Richard Roundtree, Trailblazing “Shaft” Actor, Dies at 81
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent – Richard Roundtree, the iconic actor renowned for portraying the suave private detective in the groundbreaking “Shaft” film series, has died at 81. His longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, confirmed that Roundtree succumbed to pancreatic cancer at his residence in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The legendary actor battled and triumphed over breast cancer in 1993 and underwent a double mastectomy. “Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men,” McMinn said. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree’s legacy extended beyond the 1970s classics. He reprised his iconic role in the 2000 “Shaft” film, sharing the screen with Samuel L. Jackson, who portrayed his nephew. The film was a revival that aimed to captivate a wider audience, and Roundtree and Jackson returned in the same roles for the 2019 rendition starring Jessie T. Usher. In a heartfelt social media post, Jackson hailed Roundtree as the “prototype” and praised him as “the best ever to do it.” Jackson added, “SHAFT, as we know it, is & will always be his Creation. His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart but I’m sure a lotta y’all’s, too.”
Read Stacy Brown’s full story at BlackPressUSA.com.
