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Shaft actor Richard Roundtree has passed away at the age of 81.
The Shaft star's manager Patrick McMinn confirmed to Variety that Roundtree died aged 81 on Tuesday following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
"Richard's work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film," McMinn said in his statement. "The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated."
Born on 9 July 1942 in Rochester, New York, Roundtree briefly attended Southern Illinois University before dropping out to pursue modelling. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in the late 1960s and began acting in New York stage productions, before being cast at the age of 28 as detective John Shaft in Gordon Parks's 1971 Blaxploitation action thriller Shaft.
He reprised the role for Shaft’s Big Score! and Shaft in Africa as well as a short-lived TV series. He returned as the character for the 2000 revival starring Samuel L. Jackson and again in 2019.
Roundtree also appeared in films such as Se7en, Brick and Speed Racer and TV shows including Roots, Magnum P.I., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Alias, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, and The Love Boat.
He is survived by his four daughters - Nicole, Tayler, Morgan and Kelli Roundtree - and his son James.
The Shaft star's manager Patrick McMinn confirmed to Variety that Roundtree died aged 81 on Tuesday following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
"Richard's work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film," McMinn said in his statement. "The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated."
Born on 9 July 1942 in Rochester, New York, Roundtree briefly attended Southern Illinois University before dropping out to pursue modelling. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in the late 1960s and began acting in New York stage productions, before being cast at the age of 28 as detective John Shaft in Gordon Parks's 1971 Blaxploitation action thriller Shaft.
He reprised the role for Shaft’s Big Score! and Shaft in Africa as well as a short-lived TV series. He returned as the character for the 2000 revival starring Samuel L. Jackson and again in 2019.
Roundtree also appeared in films such as Se7en, Brick and Speed Racer and TV shows including Roots, Magnum P.I., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Alias, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, and The Love Boat.
He is survived by his four daughters - Nicole, Tayler, Morgan and Kelli Roundtree - and his son James.