“Actor Richard Roundtree Passed Away at 81”

Actor Richard Roundtree has passed away. The New York born actor passed away October 24th, 2023 at the age of 81 succumbing to pancreatic cancer, confirmed by his manager, Patrick McMinn of McMinn Management and Artists & Representatives Agency in a statement to Essence.

Roundtree was known for his revolutionizing roles in the 1970’s Blaxploitation, particularly his best known role as private detective JohnShaft in Shaft (1971). Outside of his work in film, he also had an extensive television career, with roles such as Roots, The Love Boat, Outlaws, A DIfferent World, Being Mary Jane, and Family Reunion.

Roundtree’s role as Shaft was trailblazing for Black men in Hollywood. Writer Sam Fulwood, in his 2023 article for CNN, “After ‘Shaft,’ Black Americans In Film Were Never Portrayed the Same Way”, writes, “the image of the Black male in the popular imagination changed dramatically after ‘Shaft’… Roundtree as Shaft was the exemplar, perhaps even the progenitor, of a certain Black male style which later came to be known colloquially as “swag.” Any number of Black men who occupy the public stage today can trace their lineage — culturally speaking at least — to Roundtree’s unforgettable performance. Think Samuel L. Jackson. Will Smith. Denzel Washington. Idris Elba.”

Shaft itself was trailblazing in film as well. Directed by photojournalist Gordan Parks, its depiction of Black characters and the quantity of characters included was different for film. Roundtree’s depiction set a standard for modern Black characters becoming multidimensional, becoming action heroes, crime fighters, and spies.

Roundtree was also an advocate for breast cancer awareness. Diagnosed with the disease in 1993, he championed more men to be aware of how breast cancer can impact them as well. In a 2000 interview with People magazine, Roundtree stated, ““I’m not embarrassed… breast cancer is unusual in men, yes, but you have to be a man to get through this — damn right… I was in the shower when I found it. It was the end of September 1993. I was lathering up and felt this lump under my left nipple…for a long time I never talked about the cancer. Nobody ever knew I was even in the hospital. But I tell everyone now. I feel that it’s very important that people who are recognizable in the universe, at whatever level, say that they’ve gone through this and it’s okay.”

Roundtree later married and divorced twice and had three children. His legacy will stand alongside other greats in Black film such as Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte as trailblazers for the leading man.