Richard Roundtree
Acting
Born: July 9, 1942 · New Rochelle, New York, USA
Died: October 24, 2023 (aged 81)
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
Django Unchained
2012
Se7en
1995
Grey's Anatomy
2005
The Mentalist
2008
Heroes
2006
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
Chicago Fire
2012
George of the Jungle
1997
Desperate Housewives
2004
Shaft
2019
Speed Racer
2008
What Men Want
2019
Photos (8)
Movies (92)
Se7en
Talbot
Speed Racer
Ben Burns
George of the Jungle
Kwame
Brick
Assistant V.P. Trueman
Shaft
"Uncle" John Shaft
Shaft
John Shaft, Sr.
What Men Want
Skip Davis
Undercover Brother
John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited)
Shaft
John Shaft
Earthquake
Miles Quade
Antitrust
Lyle Barton
Boat Trip
Felicia's Dad
Thelma
Ben
Maniac Cop
Commissioner Pike
Corky Romano
Howard Shuster
Steel
Uncle Joe
City Heat
Dehl Swift
Q
Powell
Shaft in Africa
John Shaft
Moving On
Ralph
Theodore Rex
Commissioner Lynch
Escape to Athena
Nat Judson
Shaft's Big Score!
John Shaft
Man Friday
Friday
Amityville: A New Generation
Pauli
An Eye for an Eye
Capt. Stevens
Bad Jim
July
Party Line
Captain Barnes
Night Visitor
Captain Crane
Body of Influence
Harry Reams
Inchon
Sgt. Augustus Henderson
The Banker
Lloyd
Opposing Force
Stafford
Angel III: The Final Chapter
Lt. Doniger
Christmas in Connecticut
Prescott
Point of Entry
Miles Porter
Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon
Tahsi
Speed Racer: Wonderful World of Racing - The Amazing Racer Family
Ben Burns
Original Gangstas
Slick
Final Approach
Gary Markash
Painkiller Jane
Colonel Watts
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Booker T. Washington
Haunting of the Mary Celeste
Tulls
Crack House
Lt. Johnson
Mind Twister
Frank Webb
Vegas Vampires
Rick Apping
Al's Lads
Boom-Boom
Getting Even
Dundee
Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight
Samuel Stark
Ladies of the House
Stan
Young Warriors
Sergeant John Austin
Sins of the Night
Les
Day of the Assassin
Fessler
Bonanza: Under Attack
Jacob
Deadly Rivals
Agent Peterson
Game for Vultures
Gideon Marunga
Men Cry in the Dark
2003
A Time to Die
Captain Ralph Phipps
Hawaiian Gardens
M.O.
Ballistic
Harold
Diary of a Single Mom
Lou Bailey
Joe and Max
Jack Blackburn
Wild Seven
Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods
Gypsy Angels
Dr. Carlson
A Family Reunion Christmas
Jebidiah McKellan
Portrait of a Hitman
Coco Morrell
The Big Score
Gordon
Jocks
Chip
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored
Cleve
Bonanza: The Return
Jacob Briscoe
The Baron and the Kid
Frosty
Shadows of Desire
Dunc
Whatever She Wants
Theodore Wolf
The Fifth Missile
Cmdr. Frederick Bryce
Collar
Alonzo Sparks
Just an Overnight Guest
1983
The Confidant
Claude
Any Place But Home
Gil Oberman
Firehouse
Shelly Forsythe
Charley-One-Eye
The Black Man
One Down, Two to Go
Ralph
Set Apart
J.T.
Killpoint
Agent Bill Bryant
What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?
Interracial Couple
Embassy
Dick Shannon
All The Days Before Tomorrow
El Doctor
Black as the Heart
Rod
Daddy Can't Read
Jason Ruigh
Miami Cops
Gamble
Diamonds
Archie
Retreat!
Henshaw
Blind Man's Bluff
Gray
TV Shows (48)
The Mentalist
Floyd Benton · 1 eps
Grey's Anatomy
Donald Burke · 1 eps
Chicago Fire
Wallace Boden, Sr. · 4 eps
Desperate Housewives
Mr. Shaw · 5 eps
The Closer
Col. D.B. Walter · 1 eps
The Love Boat
Dave Wilbur · 2 eps
Heroes
Charles Deveaux · 5 eps
Beverly Hills, 90210
Robinson Ashe Jr. · 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
Kevin Cooper · 1 eps
Magnum, P.I.
Peter Jordan · 1 eps
MacGyver
R.T. Hines · 1 eps
21 Jump Street
Ben Halley · 1 eps
L.A. Law
Judge Ira Menday · 1 eps
Touched by an Angel
Murray · 1 eps
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
'Barracuda' Jim Barnes · 1 eps
Private Practice
Raymond McCray · 1 eps
Lethal Weapon
Don Bennett · 1 eps
A Different World
Clinton Reese · 2 eps
Profiler
Det. James Henegar · 1 eps
Renegade
1 eps
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Dr. Mumford · 2 eps
Close to Home
Cyrus Carter · 1 eps
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
General (uncredited) · 1 eps
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Chester Cooper · 1 eps
Star
Charles Floyd · 5 eps
Dream On
Dr. Charles · 1 eps
The Wayans Bros.
Dr. Saunders · 1 eps
Family Reunion
Grandpa · 6 eps
Amen
2 eps
Blade: The Series
1 eps
Roots
Sam Bennett · 1 eps
Alias
Brill · 2 eps
Being Mary Jane
Paul Patterson, Sr. · 51 eps
CHiPs
Sgt. Aikens · 1 eps
The Player
Samuel Letts · 2 eps
Lincoln Heights
1 eps
Masquerade
Mean Willy · 1 eps
Soul Food
Hardy Lester · 6 eps
Roc
Russell Emerson · 3 eps
Hollywood Beat
1 eps
Buddies
Henry Carlisle · 13 eps
A.D.
Serpenius · 5 eps
Rescue 77
Captain Durfee · 8 eps
GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event
Grandpa · 1 eps
Shaft
John Shaft · 7 eps
Outlaws
Isaiah 'Ice' McAdams · 12 eps
413 Hope St.
Phil Thomas · 10 eps
Beauty and the Beast
Cleon Manning · 4 eps
Self / Appearances (12)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 2 eps
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · 2 eps
Dinah!
Self · 2 eps
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self · 1 eps
Breakdown: 1975
Self (Shaft- archive footage)
Nationtime: Gary
Self
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Self - Narrator (voice) · 4 eps
BaadAsssss Cinema
Self
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
Self
Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location
Self
Harlem to Hollywood
Self
Listen to a Stranger: An Interview with Gordon Parks
Self / Shaft (archive footage)