Richard Roundtree

ActorCrew Jul 9 (died age 81) New Rochelle, New York, USA 1961–2024 (63 year career)

5.8 avg rating

Biography

Richard 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. He reprised the role of Shaft in the movie Shaft (2019), starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Known For

Film

Se7en

Talbot

Film

Django Unchained

Thanks

Film

Brick

Assistant V.P. Trueman

Film

Shaft

John Shaft, Sr.

Film

Speed Racer

Ben Burns

Film

What Men Want

Skip Davis

Film

George of the Jungle

Kwame

Film

Shaft

"Uncle" John Shaft

Filmography

Acting (151)

Movies (98)

Thelma

as Ben

Moving On

as Ralph

A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks

2021

as Self

6.8

Haunting of the Mary Celeste

as Tulls

Shaft

as John Shaft, Sr.

What Men Want

as Skip Davis

Harlem to Hollywood

as Self

A Family Reunion Christmas

2019

as Jebidiah McKellan

5.9

Collar

2015

as Alonzo Sparks

Retreat!

2012

as Henshaw

The Confidant

as Claude

Whatever She Wants

as Theodore Wolf

Set Apart

as J.T.

Diary of a Single Mom

as Lou Bailey

Speed Racer

as Ben Burns

Final Approach

as Gary Markash

Ladies of the House

as Stan

Speed Racer: Wonderful World of Racing - The Amazing Racer Family

2008

as Ben Burns

Point of Entry

2007

as Miles Porter

4.4

All The Days Before Tomorrow

2007

as El Doctor

6.8

Brick

2006

as Assistant V.P. Trueman

6.8

Wild Seven

2006

as Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods

4.0

Painkiller Jane

2005

as Colonel Watts

4.9

Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon

as Tahsi

Men Cry in the Dark

Vegas Vampires

as Rick Apping

Undercover Brother

as John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited)

Boat Trip

as Felicia's Dad

BaadAsssss Cinema

as Self

Al's Lads

as Boom-Boom

Joe and Max

as Jack Blackburn

Antitrust

as Lyle Barton

Corky Romano

as Howard Shuster

Hawaiian Gardens

as M.O.

Shaft

as "Uncle" John Shaft

6.0

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

1999

as Booker T. Washington

George of the Jungle

as Kwame

Steel

as Uncle Joe

Any Place But Home

as Gil Oberman

Original Gangstas

1996

as Slick

5.6

Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored

as Cleve

Se7en

as Talbot

Theodore Rex

as Commissioner Lynch

3.6

Ballistic

1995

as Harold

3.1

Bonanza: Under Attack

as Jacob

Shadows of Desire

as Dunc

Black as the Heart

as Rod

Mind Twister

as Frank Webb

Body of Influence

as Harry Reams

Blind Man's Bluff

as Gray

Amityville: A New Generation

as Pauli

Deadly Rivals

as Agent Peterson

Sins of the Night

as Les

Bonanza: The Return

as Jacob Briscoe

Christmas in Connecticut

1992

as Prescott

4.7

Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight

1992

as Samuel Stark

4.6

A Time to Die

1991

as Captain Ralph Phipps

Bad Jim

as July

Gypsy Angels

as Dr. Carlson

Night Visitor

as Captain Crane

Crack House

as Lt. Johnson

The Banker

as Lloyd

Miami Cops

as Gamble

Party Line

as Captain Barnes

Maniac Cop

as Commissioner Pike

Getting Even

as Dundee

Angel III: The Final Chapter

1988

as Lt. Doniger

5.1

Daddy Can't Read

1988

as Jason Ruigh

The Fifth Missile

1986

as Cmdr. Frederick Bryce

Opposing Force

as Stafford

Jocks

as Chip

City Heat

as Dehl Swift

Killpoint

as Agent Bill Bryant

The Baron and the Kid

1984

as Frosty

The Big Score

1983

as Gordon

5.0

Just an Overnight Guest

1983

7.0

Young Warriors

1983

as Sergeant John Austin

as Powell

One Down, Two to Go

as Ralph

An Eye for an Eye

as Capt. Stevens

Inchon

as Sgt. Augustus Henderson

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

Man Friday

as Friday

Diamonds

as Archie

Earthquake

as Miles Quade

Shaft in Africa

as John Shaft

Charley One-Eye

as The Black Man

Firehouse

as Shelly Forsythe

Listen to a Stranger: An Interview with Gordon Parks

1973

as Self / Shaft (archive footage)

Embassy

as Dick Shannon

Shaft's Big Score!

as John Shaft

Nationtime

as Self

Shaft

as John Shaft

Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location

1971

as Self

7.0

What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?

1970

as Interracial Couple

3.8

Television (53)

GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event

as Grandpa

Family Reunion

as Grandpa

Lethal Weapon

as Don Bennett

Star

as Charles Floyd

The Player

as Samuel Letts

Being Mary Jane

as Paul Patterson, Sr.

7.1

Chicago Fire

2012

as Wallace Boden, Sr.

The Mentalist

as Floyd Benton

Private Practice

as Raymond McCray

Lincoln Heights

Heroes

as Charles Deveaux

Blade: The Series

Grey's Anatomy

as Donald Burke

The Closer

as Col. D.B. Walter

Close to Home

as Cyrus Carter

Desperate Housewives

as Mr. Shaw

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow

2002

as Self - Narrator (voice)

Alias

as Brill

Soul Food

as Hardy Lester

Rescue 77

as Captain Durfee

413 Hope St.

as Phil Thomas

Profiler

1996

as Det. James Henegar

Buddies

as Henry Carlisle

The Wayans Bros.

as Dr. Saunders

Touched by an Angel

as Murray

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

1993

as 'Barracuda' Jim Barnes

Renegade

Vicki!

as Self

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

1992

as General (uncredited)

Roc

as Russell Emerson

Beverly Hills, 90210

as Robinson Ashe Jr.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

as Dr. Mumford

Dream On

as Dr. Charles

21 Jump Street

as Ben Halley

A Different World

as Clinton Reese

Beauty and the Beast

L.A. Law

as Judge Ira Menday

Amen

Outlaws

MacGyver

as R.T. Hines

Hollywood Beat

A.D.

as Serpenius

Murder, She Wrote

as Major Kevin Cooper

Masquerade

as Mean Willy

Magnum, P.I.

as Peter Jordan

The Love Boat

as Dave Wilbur

CHiPs

as Sgt. Aikens

Roots

as Sam Bennett

Dinah!

as Self

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

as Self

Shaft

as John Shaft

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

as Self

7.4

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

as Self

5.4

Crew (2)

Movies (2)

Thelma

In Memory Of

Django Unchained

Thanks