Richard Roundtree, who played one of the first Black action heroes in the blaxploitation '70s era of film, died at 81 of pancreatic cancer on Tuesday in his Los Angeles home, his manager said.
The blaxploitation actor starred in the 1971 "Shaft" film series that depicted Roundtree's iconic character John Shaft, a private detective with a brown leather jacket with a turned-up collar and a dark mustache. The film's theme song even won an Oscar for best original song, describing Shaft as “a sex machine to all the chicks,” “a bad mother” and “the cat who won’t cop out when there’s danger all about.”
Roundtree also had success off the film screen, before "Shaft," with a successful theater career. The actor was in the Negro Ensemble Company. In his first theater role, he starred in a 1967 production of “The Great White Hope,” starring as a fictionalized version of Jack Johnson, the early 20th century’s first Black heavyweight boxing champion.
After "Shaft," Roundtree extensive onscreen career continued with movies and TV series like “Earthquake," “Man Friday,” “Inchon,” “City Heat” and "Roots." He even reprised his role as Shaft in the 2000s Samuel L. Jackson-led reboot of the action film series.
Jackson tweeted: "The passing of Richard Roundtree is a real blow. Loved being around him, learning, working, laughing & feeling Blessed to have an idol live up to who I expected him to be!! Thanks for making us feel REAL GOOD about ourselves! Rest In Power."
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