The Return of the Classic Films Obituary Thread

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51. Richard Roundtree, Star of 'Shaft,' Dies at 81

While indelibly tied to the role that made him famous in 1971, he remained active for more than four decades afterward.

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By Anita Gates
Published Oct. 24, 2023
Updated Oct. 25, 2023, 12:46 p.m. ET

Richard Roundtree, the actor who redefined African American masculinity in the movies when he played the title role in “Shaft,” one of the first Black action heroes, died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.

His manager, Patrick McMinn, said the cause was pancreatic cancer, which had been diagnosed two months ago.

“Shaft,” which was released in 1971, was among the first of the so-called blaxploitation movies, and it made Mr. Roundtree a star at 29.

The character John Shaft is his own man, a private detective who jaywalks confidently through moving Times Square traffic in a handsome brown leather coat with the collar turned up; sports a robust, dark mustache somewhere between walrus-style and a downturned handlebar; and keeps a pearl-handled revolver in the fridge in his Greenwich Village duplex apartment.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/movies/richard-roundtree-dead.html?searchResultPosition=6