Richard Roundtree has died at the age of 81 due to pancreatic cancer that he had been suffering from for several months. In the early nineties she also suffered from breast cancer that forced her to have a double mastectomy. He has been his representative, Patrick McMinn, which has confirmed it to the specialized media The Hollywood Reporter. The world of cinema is in mourning after receiving this sad news. The actor has had a long career on the big screen, and was one of the protagonists of the revolution that his role as John Shakt in ‘The red nights of Harlem’ (‘Shaft’).
Roundtree was the first black action hero on the big screen, or at least that’s how he is considered by the vast majority. With his role as Shaft lor it is true that he earned it hard.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African-American protagonists in film,” his representative said in a statement sent to Variety. And, his management agency added: “His pioneering career changed the face of entertainment around the world and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones in these difficult times.”
Richard Roundtree’s career
Her first steps were as a model. But later, he made his film debut as the protagonist of ‘Shaft’ when he was barely 28 years old. That was the first installment of the action thriller that he directed Gordon Parks in 1971. It was about the adventures of a private detective. It was a success that grossed 12 million dollars at the box office, when the budget had been around half a million.
That film started a decade known as ‘Blaxploitation‘. A year after the release of the first film, he returned with ‘Shaft 2’ and ‘Shaft 3’. In addition, there was a television series that only had seven episodes.
In addition, he participated in ‘Earthquake’ (1974), ‘Seven’ (1995), ‘George of the Jungle’ (1997), ‘Brick’ (2005) or ‘Speed Racer’ (2008) and other series such as ‘Heroes’ ( 2006), ‘Chicago Fire’ (2015) or ‘Family Reunion’ (2019).
2023-10-25 18:59:30
#Actor #Richard #Roundtree #star #Shaft #dies
