Richard Roundtree, best known for his role as Detective John Shaft in the ’70s action thriller “Shaft,” has died. He was 81.
Roundtree’s longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, told The Associated Press the actor had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and underwent a double mastectomy.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men,” McMinn said. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree was a cancer survivor. Although he was initially quiet about it, Roundtree later became an advocate for raising awareness of the disease.
“Not talking about my cancer was really tough,” Roundtree told ABC News in a 2007 interview. “And now that I do talk about it all the time, it’s really become a backhanded blessing. I was getting on a plane recently, and a flight attendant ran up to me and said, ‘You saved my husband’s life.’ “
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Born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1942, Roundtree made his silver-screen debut in 1971 with his starring role in the Gordon Parks-directed “Shaft,” which followed the exploits of private eye John Shaft. The low-budget movie rocked the cultural firmament like an earthquake.
“Shaft” was made for $500,000 and grossed $13 million, nabbing a best original song Oscar for Isaac Hayes, who composed the title track. Soon, the floodgates would open, releasing a deluge of…
