Original Shaft Actor Richard Roundtree Dies at 81!!!

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 16: Actor Richard Roundtree attends the 11th Annual Action Icon Awards at the Sheraton Universal Hotel on October 16, 2022 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

Actor Richard Roundtree has died after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Known for his role in the Blaxploitation film Shaft, the New Rochelle, NY native would be known as the first Black action hero. Richard appeared in countless other films like Moving On, George of the Jungle, Se7en, Amityville: A New Generation, and What Women Want. His television career was just as decorated with roles in Roots, Generations, Desperate Housewives, and most recently, Ava DuVernay’s OWN series, Cherish the Day. News of his passing was released by his agency and his longtime manager, Patrick McMinn. Richard Roundtree was 81