Richard Roundtree
Actor
Born July 9, 1942 in New Rochelle, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
Thelma
Ben
Moving On
Ralph
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
Self
Haunting of the Mary Celeste
Tulls
GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event
Grandpa
A Family Reunion Christmas
Jebidiah McKellan
Family Reunion
Grandpa
Harlem to Hollywood
Self
Shaft
John Shaft, Sr.
What Men Want
Skip Davis
Star
Charles Floyd
Lethal Weapon
Don Bennett
The Player
Samuel Letts
Collar
Alonzo Sparks
Being Mary Jane
Paul Patterson, Sr.
Django Unchained
Chicago Fire
Wallace Boden, Sr.
Retreat!
Henshaw
The Confidant
Claude
Whatever She Wants
Theodore Wolf
Diary of a Single Mom
Lou Bailey
Set Apart
J.T.
Ladies of the House
Stan
The Mentalist
Floyd Benton
Final Approach
Gary Markash
Speed Racer
Ben Burns
Speed Racer: Wonderful World of Racing - The Amazing Racer Family
Ben Burns
Point of Entry
Miles Porter
Private Practice
Raymond McCray
All The Days Before Tomorrow
El Doctor
Lincoln Heights
Heroes
Charles Deveaux
Blade: The Series
Brick
Assistant V.P. Trueman
Wild Seven
Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods
Painkiller Jane
Colonel Watts
Close to Home
Cyrus Carter
The Closer
Col. D.B. Walter
Grey's Anatomy
Donald Burke
Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon
Tahsi
Desperate Housewives
Mr. Shaw
Vegas Vampires
Rick Apping
Men Cry in the Dark
Boat Trip
Felicia's Dad
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Self - Narrator (voice)
BaadAsssss Cinema
Self
Al's Lads
Boom-Boom
Undercover Brother
John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joe and Max
Jack Blackburn
Hawaiian Gardens
M.O.
Corky Romano
Howard Shuster
Alias
Brill
Antitrust
Lyle Barton
Soul Food
Hardy Lester
Shaft
"Uncle" John Shaft
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Booker T. Washington
Rescue 77
Captain Durfee
413 Hope St.
Phil Thomas
Steel
Uncle Joe
George of the Jungle
Kwame
Any Place But Home
Gil Oberman
Profiler
Det. James Henegar
Original Gangstas
Slick
Buddies
Henry Carlisle
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored
Cleve
Theodore Rex
Commissioner Lynch
Se7en
Talbot
Ballistic
Harold
Bonanza: Under Attack
Jacob
The Wayans Bros.
Dr. Saunders
Touched by an Angel
Murray
Shadows of Desire
Dunc
Blind Man's Bluff
Gray
Body of Influence
Harry Reams
Mind Twister
Frank Webb
Black as the Heart
Rod
Sins of the Night
Les
Bonanza: The Return
Jacob Briscoe
Amityville: A New Generation
Pauli
Deadly Rivals
Agent Peterson
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
'Barracuda' Jim Barnes
Christmas in Connecticut
Prescott
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
General (uncredited)
Renegade
Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight
Samuel Stark
A Time to Die
Captain Ralph Phipps
Roc
Russell Emerson
Beverly Hills, 90210
Robinson Ashe Jr.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Dr. Mumford
Dream On
Dr. Charles
Gypsy Angels
Dr. Carlson
Bad Jim
July
The Banker
Lloyd
Crack House
Lt. Johnson
Night Visitor
Captain Crane
Miami Cops
Gamble
Angel III: The Final Chapter
Lt. Doniger
Party Line
Captain Barnes
Getting Even
Dundee
Maniac Cop
Commissioner Pike
Daddy Can't Read
Jason Ruigh
Beauty and the Beast
Cleon Manning
A Different World
Clinton Reese
21 Jump Street
Ben Halley
Outlaws
Isaiah 'Ice' McAdams
Jocks
Chip
Amen
L.A. Law
Judge Ira Menday
Opposing Force
Stafford
The Fifth Missile
Cmdr. Frederick Bryce
MacGyver
R.T. Hines
Hollywood Beat
A.D.
Serpenius
City Heat
Dehl Swift
The Baron and the Kid
Frosty
Murder, She Wrote
Kevin Cooper
Killpoint
Agent Bill Bryant
Masquerade
Mean Willy
Young Warriors
Sergeant John Austin
Just an Overnight Guest
The Big Score
Gordon
One Down, Two to Go
Ralph
Q
Powell
An Eye for an Eye
Capt. Stevens
Inchon
Sgt. Augustus Henderson
Magnum, P.I.
Peter Jordan
Day of the Assassin
Fessler
Game for Vultures
Gideon Marunga
Escape to Athena
Nat Judson
Portrait of a Hitman
Coco Morrell
The Love Boat
Dave Wilbur
CHiPs
Sgt. Aikens
Roots
Sam Bennett
Diamonds
Archie
Man Friday
Friday
Earthquake
Miles Quade
Dinah!
Self
Shaft
John Shaft
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self
Shaft in Africa
John Shaft
Charley-One-Eye
The Black Man
Listen to a Stranger: An Interview with Gordon Parks
Self / Shaft (archive footage)
Firehouse
Shelly Forsythe
Nationtime: Gary
Self
Shaft's Big Score!
John Shaft
Embassy
Dick Shannon
Shaft
John Shaft
Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location
Self
What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?
Interracial Couple
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Self