Richard Roundtree, the actor who redefined African American masculinity in the movies...
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 Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81. The cause was pancreatic cancer, said his manager, Patrick McMinn, who said that it 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 Roundtree a movie star at 29.
His first role was in a 1967 production of 'The Great White Hope,' starring as the early 20th century's first Black heavyweight boxing champion. A Broadway production starring James Earl Jones opened the next year and won three major Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. After 'Shaft,' Roundtree made varied choices in movie roles. He was in the all-star ensemble cast, with Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner, of the disaster movie 'Earthquake' .
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