Richard Roundtree, 'First Black Action Hero' And Shaft Star, Has Died At 81

As confirmed by Deadline, Richard Roundtree, the groundbreaking star of the original "Shaft" franchise has died as a result of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. Roundtree was a gifted athlete who played for New Rochelle High School's nationally-ranked and undefeated football team but later dropped out of college after he was scouted by Ebony Fashion Fair founder Eunice W. Johnson and began modeling for companies like Duke hair products and Salem cigarettes. A few years later, he joined the Negro Ensemble Company theater group in New York City, where he became a fast leading man. This led to a successful career in front of the camera, where Roundtree would become colloquially known as the "first Black action hero."

He appeared in a number of Blaxploitation films in the 1970s, but he became a cinematic icon as detective John Shaft in the films "Shaft," "Shaft's Big Score!," "Shaft in Africa," and the short-lived series adaptation. He earned a nomination for New Star of the Year at the Golden Globes for his performance in the first film, but more importantly, changed pop culture forever.

Defining Roundtree as being "the guy who played Shaft" does a disservice to his decades-spanning career, but as the remakes of the series have proven, no one else can do it like him. His roles were expansive across genres, most recently appearing in the comedy flick "Moving On," with Josh Margolin's "Thelma" still yet to debut. Whether it was playing Sam Bennett in the 1977 television series "Roots" or the loving father of Paul Patterson on "Being Mary Jane," Roundtree was the kind of actor who elevated every performance simply by showing up on screen.

In the wake of the announcement of his passing, thoughts from those who knew him best began pouring in. Gabrielle Union, who played his daughter on "Being Mary Jane" took to Twitter to say working with him "was a dream" and that he "was always a good ass time with the best stories & laughs." She also confirmed what most of us would already accept as fact, in that he was "ALWAYS the coolest man in the room with the BEST vibes." Roundtree was, is, and will forever be one of the greatest actors to grace screens big and small, regardless of race, but the impact he made in Hollywood as a Black leading man is transcendent.

Encapsulating the career and legacy of someone like Richard Roundtree is an impossible task because the doors that were opened for others because of his seminal work are immeasurable. Some other notable features include films like "Earthquake," "Escape to Athena," "Opposing Force," and "Seven," genre fare like "Maniac Cop," "Q: The Winged Serpent," and "Speed Racer," and comedies like "George of the Jungle," "Corky Romano," and "What Men Want." He also appeared in TV shows like "Outlaws," the daytime soap opera "Generations," "Desperate Housewives," "Heroes," "Diary of a Single Mom," "413 Hope St.," and "Family Reunion." 

Roundtree passed surrounded by his loving family, and survivors include his children Kelli, Nicole, Tayler, Morgan, and John. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on. After all, that cat was a bad mother...