Richard Roundtree, the trailblazing actor who starred as the ultra-smooth private detective in several B次元官网网址淪haftB次元官网网址� films beginning in the early 1970s, has died. He was 81.
RoundtreeB次元官网网址檚 longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, said the actor had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and underwent a double mastectomy.
B次元官网网址淩ichardB次元官网网址檚 work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men,B次元官网网址� McMinn said. B次元官网网址淭he impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.B次元官网网址�
Roundtree, who was born in New Rochelle, New York, was considered as the first Black action hero and became one of the leading actors in the blaxploitation genre through his New York street smart John Shaft character in the Gordon Parks-directed film in 1971. At age 28, it was RoundtreeB次元官网网址檚 first feature film appearance after starting his career as a model.
RoundtreeB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪haftB次元官网网址� was part of a change in how Black movies were viewed in Hollywood, which failed to consider Black actors B次元官网网址� especially for leading roles B次元官网网址� in projects at the time. The blaxploitation films were primarily aimed at the African American audiences.
In the film, his character navigated the world of thugs. He regularly whipped out popular one-liners like B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 my duty to please that booty.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲hat we were doing was a good, old Saturday afternoon shoot B次元官网网址檈m up,B次元官网网址� Roundtree said in a 2000 interview with The Associated Press.
Isaac HayesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淪haftB次元官网网址� theme song B次元官网网址� which included the line B次元官网网址淵ou a bad motherB次元官网网址� (Shut your mouth)B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� helped insinuate the original movie into the pop-cult consciousness. The singer, who died in 2008, said the song was B次元官网网址渓ike the B次元官网网址榮hot heard round the world.B次元官网网址� His single won an Academy Award for best song in 1971 and two Grammys the following year.
After the filmB次元官网网址檚 success, Roundtree returned in sequels B次元官网网址淪haftB次元官网网址檚 Big ScoreB次元官网网址� in 1972 and B次元官网网址淪haft in AfricaB次元官网网址� in 1973. That same year, he played the savvy detective once again on the CBS television series B次元官网网址淪haft,B次元官网网址� which lasted only seven episodes.
Roundtree reprised his role in the 2000 B次元官网网址淪haftB次元官网网址� film, a revival that starred Samuel L. Jackson. He appeared as JacksonB次元官网网址檚 uncle in the big-budget film that was aimed at the general audience. Both appeared again in the same roles in the 2019 film starring Jessie T. Usher.
Jackson called Roundtree the B次元官网网址減rototypeB次元官网网址� and the B次元官网网址渂est to ever do itB次元官网网址� in a social media post.
B次元官网网址淪HAFT, as we know it is & will always be his Creation,B次元官网网址� he said of Roundtree. B次元官网网址淗is passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but IB次元官网网址檓 sure a lotta yB次元官网网址檃llB次元官网网址檚, too.B次元官网网址�
Through his 50-plus year career, Roundtree appeared in a number other notable films including B次元官网网址淓arthquake,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淢an FridayB次元官网网址� with Peter OB次元官网网址橳oole, B次元官网网址淩oots,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淢aniac CopB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淪e7enB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淲hat Men WantB次元官网网址� starring Taraji P. Henson. He also made his mark with television roles on B次元官网网址淢agnum P.I.,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭he Love Boat,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淏eing Mary JaneB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淭he Love Boat.B次元官网网址�
In 1995, Roundtree received a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Movie & TV awards.
Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
