Richard Roundtree
Born: 1942-07-09 in New Rochelle, New York, USA
Died: 2023-10-24
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2025
- Breakdown: 1975 as Self (Shaft- archive footage)
2024
- Thelma as Ben
2023
- Moving On as Ralph
2021
2020
- GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event as Grandpa
- Haunting of the Mary Celeste as Tulls
2019
- Family Reunion as Grandpa
- What Men Want as Skip Davis
- Shaft as John Shaft, Sr.
- A Family Reunion Christmas as Jebidiah McKellan
- Harlem to Hollywood as Self
2016
- Lethal Weapon as Don Bennett
- Star as Charles Floyd
2015
- The Player as Samuel Letts
- Collar as Alonzo Sparks
2013
- Being Mary Jane as Paul Patterson, Sr.
2012
- Chicago Fire as Wallace Boden, Sr.
- Django Unchained ... (Thanks)
- Retreat! as Henshaw
2010
- The Confidant as Claude
- Whatever She Wants as Theodore Wolf
2009
- Diary of a Single Mom as Lou Bailey
- Set Apart as J.T.
2008
- The Mentalist as Floyd Benton
- Speed Racer as Ben Burns
- Final Approach as Gary Markash
- Speed Racer: Wonderful World of Racing - The Amazing Racer Family as Ben Burns
- Ladies of the House as Stan
2007
- Private Practice as Raymond McCray
- Lincoln Heights
- Point of Entry as Miles Porter
- All The Days Before Tomorrow as El Doctor
2006
- Heroes as Charles Deveaux
- Blade: The Series
- Brick as Assistant V.P. Trueman
- Wild Seven as Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods
2005
- Grey's Anatomy as Donald Burke
- The Closer as Col. D.B. Walter
- Close to Home as Cyrus Carter
- Painkiller Jane as Colonel Watts
2004
- Desperate Housewives as Mr. Shaw
- Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon as Tahsi
2003
- Men Cry in the Dark
- Vegas Vampires as Rick Apping
2002
- Boat Trip as Felicia's Dad
- Undercover Brother as John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow as Self - Narrator (voice)
- BaadAsssss Cinema as Self
- Joe and Max as Jack Blackburn
- Al's Lads as Boom-Boom
2001
- Alias as Brill
- Antitrust as Lyle Barton
- Corky Romano as Howard Shuster
- Hawaiian Gardens as M.O.
1999
- Rescue 77 as Captain Durfee
- Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years as Booker T. Washington
1997
- George of the Jungle as Kwame
- Steel as Uncle Joe
- 413 Hope St. as Phil Thomas
- Any Place But Home as Gil Oberman
1996
- Profiler as Det. James Henegar
- Buddies as Henry Carlisle
- Original Gangstas as Slick
- Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored as Cleve
1995
- Se7en as Talbot
- The Wayans Bros. as Dr. Saunders
- Theodore Rex as Commissioner Lynch
- Ballistic as Harold
- Bonanza: Under Attack as Jacob
1994
- Touched by an Angel as Murray
- Body of Influence as Harry Reams
- Shadows of Desire as Dunc
- Mind Twister as Frank Webb
- Black as the Heart as Rod
- Blind Man's Bluff as Gray
1993
- Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as 'Barracuda' Jim Barnes
- Amityville: A New Generation as Pauli
- Sins of the Night as Les
- Deadly Rivals as Agent Peterson
- Bonanza: The Return as Jacob Briscoe
1992
- Renegade
- Hangin' with Mr. Cooper as General (uncredited)
- Vicki! as Self
- Christmas in Connecticut as Prescott
- Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight as Samuel Stark
1991
- Roc as Russell Emerson
- A Time to Die as Captain Ralph Phipps
1990
- Beverly Hills, 90210 as Robinson Ashe Jr.
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Dr. Mumford
- Dream On as Dr. Charles
- Bad Jim as July
- Gypsy Angels as Dr. Carlson
1989
- The Banker as Lloyd
- Night Visitor as Captain Crane
- Crack House as Lt. Johnson
- Miami Cops as Gamble
1988
- Maniac Cop as Commissioner Pike
- Party Line as Captain Barnes
- Angel III: The Final Chapter as Lt. Doniger
- Getting Even as Dundee
- Daddy Can't Read as Jason Ruigh
1987
- 21 Jump Street as Ben Halley
- A Different World as Clinton Reese
- Beauty and the Beast as Cleon Manning
1986
- L.A. Law as Judge Ira Menday
- Amen
- Outlaws as Isaiah 'Ice' McAdams
- Opposing Force as Stafford
- Jocks as Chip
- The Fifth Missile as Cmdr. Frederick Bryce
1985
- MacGyver as R.T. Hines
- A.D. as Serpenius
- Hollywood Beat
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Kevin Cooper
- City Heat as Dehl Swift
- The Baron and the Kid as Frosty
- Killpoint as Agent Bill Bryant
1983
- Masquerade as Mean Willy
- Young Warriors as Sergeant John Austin
- The Big Score as Gordon
- Just an Overnight Guest
1982
- Q as Powell
- One Down, Two to Go as Ralph
1981
- An Eye for an Eye as Capt. Stevens
- Inchon as Sgt. Augustus Henderson
1980
- Magnum, P.I. as Peter Jordan
1979
- Escape to Athena as Nat Judson
- Game for Vultures as Gideon Marunga
- Day of the Assassin as Fessler
- Portrait of a Hitman as Coco Morrell
1977
- The Love Boat as Dave Wilbur
- Roots as Sam Bennett
- CHiPs as Sgt. Aikens
1975
- Man Friday as Friday
- Diamonds as Archie
1974
- Dinah! as Self
- Earthquake as Miles Quade
1973
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self
- Shaft in Africa as John Shaft
- Shaft as John Shaft
- Charley-One-Eye as The Black Man
- Firehouse as Shelly Forsythe
- Listen to a Stranger: An Interview with Gordon Parks as Self / Shaft (archive footage)
1972
- Shaft's Big Score! as John Shaft
- Nationtime: Gary as Self
- Embassy as Dick Shannon
1971
- Shaft as John Shaft
- Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location as Self
1970
- What Do You Say to a Naked Lady? as Interracial Couple
1962
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self