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.
as (archive footage)
as Ben
as Ralph
as Tulls
as Grandpa(1 ep)
as Jebidiah McKellan
as Grandpa(6 eps)
as Self
as John Shaft, Sr.
as Skip Davis
as Charles Floyd(5 eps)
as Don Bennett(1 ep)
as Samuel Letts(2 eps)
as Alonzo Sparks
as Paul Patterson, Sr.(51 eps)
as Wallace Boden, Sr.(4 eps)
as Henshaw
as Claude
as Theodore Wolf
as Lou Bailey
as J.T.
as Stan
as Floyd Benton(1 ep)
as Gary Markash
as Ben Burns
as Miles Porter
as Raymond McCray(1 ep)
as El Doctor
as Charles Deveaux(5 eps)
as Assistant V.P. Trueman
as Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods
as Colonel Watts
as Cyrus Carter(1 ep)
as Col. D.B. Walter(1 ep)
as Donald Burke(1 ep)
as Tahsi
as Mr. Shaw(5 eps)
as Rick Apping
as Felicia's Dad
as Self - Narrator (voice)(4 eps)
as Self
as Boom-Boom
as John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited)
as Jack Blackburn
as M.O.
as Howard Shuster
as Brill(2 eps)
as Lyle Barton
as Hardy Lester(6 eps)
as "Uncle" John Shaft
as Booker T. Washington
as Captain Durfee(8 eps)
as Phil Thomas(10 eps)
as Uncle Joe
as Kwame
as Gil Oberman
as Det. James Henegar(1 ep)
as Slick
as Henry Carlisle(13 eps)
as Commissioner Lynch
as Talbot
as Harold
as Jacob
as Dr. Saunders(1 ep)
as Murray(1 ep)
as Dunc
as Gray(2 eps)
as Harry Reams
as Frank Webb
as Rod
as Les
as Jacob Briscoe
as Pauli
as Agent Peterson
as 'Barracuda' Jim Barnes(1 ep)
as Prescott
as General (uncredited)(1 ep)
as Chester Cooper(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Samuel Stark
as Captain Ralph Phipps
as Russell Emerson(3 eps)
as Robinson Ashe Jr.(1 ep)
as Dr. Mumford(2 eps)
as Dr. Charles(1 ep)
as Dr. Carlson
as July
as Lloyd
as Lt. Johnson
as Captain Crane
as Gamble
as Lt. Doniger
as Captain Barnes
as Dundee
as Commissioner Pike
as Jason Ruigh
as Cleon Manning(4 eps)
as Clinton Reese(2 eps)
as Ben Halley(1 ep)
as Isaiah 'Ice' McAdams(12 eps)
as Chip
as Judge Ira Menday(1 ep)
as Stafford
as Cmdr. Frederick Bryce
as R.T. Hines(1 ep)
as Serpenius(5 eps)
as Dehl Swift
as Frosty
as Kevin Cooper(1 ep)
as Agent Bill Bryant
as Mean Willy(1 ep)
as Sergeant John Austin
as Gordon
as Ralph
as Powell
as Capt. Stevens
as Sgt. Augustus Henderson
as Peter Jordan(1 ep)
as Fessler
as Gideon Marunga
as Nat Judson
as Coco Morrell
as Dave Wilbur(2 eps)
as Sgt. Aikens(1 ep)
as Sam Bennett(1 ep)
as Archie
as Friday
as Miles Quade
as Self(2 eps)
as John Shaft(7 eps)
as Self(1 ep)
as John Shaft
as The Black Man
as Self / Shaft (archive footage)
as Shelly Forsythe
as Self
as John Shaft
as Dick Shannon
as John Shaft
as Interracial Couple
as Self(2 eps)
as Self(2 eps)