Richard Arnold Roundtree (July 9, 1942 – October 24, 2023) was an American actor. He is noted as being "the first black action hero" for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft, and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2019. For his performance in the original film, he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor in 1972. Roundtree died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He was cremated at Chapel of the Pines Crematory. His family hosted a memorial service for him at Saint Catherine African Methodist Episcopal Church in New Rochelle, New York on February 17, 2024.
Richard Roundtree has 124 screen credits in a career dating back to 1961. Their work spans 13 cinematic universes — most prominently Shaft (Reboot) Collection with 2 titles. Signature works include Shaft, George of the Jungle, Thelma. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
Universe traveler — spans 13 universes
