Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
July 9, 1942
Place of Birth:
New Rochelle, New York, USA
Social Media
Richard Roundtree
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
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Thelma | Ben |
| 2023 | Moving On | Ralph |
| 2021 | A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks | Self |
| 2020 | Haunting of the Mary Celeste | Tulls |
| 2019 | Harlem to Hollywood | Self |
| 2019 | Shaft | John Shaft, Sr. |
| 2019 | What Men Want | Skip Davis |
| 2019 | A Family Reunion Christmas | Jebidiah McKellan |
| 2015 | Collar | Alonzo Sparks |
| 2012 | Retreat! | Henshaw |
| 2010 | The Confidant | Claude |
| 2010 | Whatever She Wants | Theodore Wolf |
| 2009 | Set Apart | J.T. |
| 2009 | Diary of a Single Mom | Lou Bailey |
| 2008 | Speed Racer | Ben Burns |
| 2008 | Ladies of the House | Stan |
| 2008 | Final Approach | Gary Markash |
| 2007 | All The Days Before Tomorrow | El Doctor |
| 2007 | Point of Entry | Miles Porter |
| 2006 | Wild Seven | Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods |
| 2006 | Brick | Assistant V.P. Trueman |
| 2005 | Painkiller Jane | Colonel Watts |
| 2004 | Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon | Tahsi |
| 2003 | Men Cry in the Dark | |
| 2003 | Vegas Vampires | Rick Apping |
| 2002 | Al's Lads | Boom-Boom |
| 2002 | BaadAsssss Cinema | Self |
| 2002 | Joe and Max | Jack Blackburn |
| 2002 | Undercover Brother | John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 2002 | Boat Trip | Felicia's Dad |
| 2001 | Antitrust | Lyle Barton |
| 2001 | Corky Romano | Howard Shuster |
| 2001 | Hawaiian Gardens | M.O. |
| 2000 | Shaft | "Uncle" John Shaft |
| 1999 | Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years | Booker T. Washington |
| 1997 | George of the Jungle | Kwame |
| 1997 | Steel | Uncle Joe |
| 1997 | Any Place But Home | Gil Oberman |
| 1996 | Original Gangstas | Slick |
| 1996 | Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored | Cleve |
| 1995 | Se7en | Talbot |
| 1995 | Theodore Rex | Commissioner Lynch |
| 1995 | Bonanza: Under Attack | Jacob |
| 1995 | Ballistic | Harold |
| 1994 | Blind Man's Bluff | Gray |
| 1994 | Mind Twister | Frank Webb |
| 1994 | Shadows of Desire | Dunc |
| 1994 | Black as the Heart | Rod |
| 1993 | Amityville: A New Generation | Pauli |
| 1993 | Sins of the Night | Les |
| 1993 | Deadly Rivals | Agent Peterson |
| 1993 | Body of Influence | Harry Reams |
| 1993 | Bonanza: The Return | Jacob Briscoe |
| 1992 | Christmas in Connecticut | Prescott |
| 1992 | Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight | Samuel Stark |
| 1991 | A Time to Die | Captain Ralph Phipps |
| 1990 | Bad Jim | July |
| 1990 | Gypsy Angels | Dr. Carlson |
| 1989 | The Banker | Lloyd |
| 1989 | Crack House | Lt. Johnson |
| 1989 | Night Visitor | Captain Crane |
| 1989 | Miami Cops | Gamble |
| 1988 | Maniac Cop | Commissioner Pike |
| 1988 | Angel III: The Final Chapter | Lt. Doniger |
| 1988 | Party Line | Captain Barnes |
| 1988 | Getting Even | Dundee |
| 1988 | Daddy Can't Read | Jason Ruigh |
| 1986 | Opposing Force | Stafford |
| 1986 | Jocks | Chip |
| 1986 | The Fifth Missile | Cmdr. Frederick Bryce |
| 1984 | City Heat | Dehl Swift |
| 1984 | The Baron and the Kid | Frosty |
| 1984 | Killpoint | Agent Bill Bryant |
| 1983 | Young Warriors | Sergeant John Austin |
| 1983 | The Big Score | Gordon |
| 1983 | Just an Overnight Guest | |
| 1982 | Q | Powell |
| 1982 | One Down, Two to Go | Ralph |
| 1981 | An Eye for an Eye | Capt. Stevens |
| 1981 | Inchon | Sgt. Augustus Henderson |
| 1979 | Escape to Athena | Nat Judson |
| 1979 | Portrait of a Hitman | Coco Morrell |
| 1979 | Day of the Assassin | Fessler |
| 1979 | Game for Vultures | Gideon Marunga |
| 1975 | Man Friday | Friday |
| 1975 | Diamonds | Archie |
| 1974 | Earthquake | Miles Quade |
| 1973 | Shaft in Africa | John Shaft |
| 1973 | Charley-One-Eye | The Black Man |
| 1973 | Firehouse | Shelly Forsythe |
| 1972 | Shaft's Big Score! | John Shaft |
| 1972 | Embassy | Dick Shannon |
| 1972 | Nationtime | Self |
| 1971 | Shaft | John Shaft |
| 1971 | Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location | Self |
| 1970 | What Do You Say to a Naked Lady | Interracial Couple |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event | Grandpa |
| 2019 | Family Reunion | Grandpa |
| 2016 | Lethal Weapon | Don Bennett |
| 2016 | Star | Charles Floyd |
| 2015 | The Player | Samuel Letts |
| 2013 | Being Mary Jane | Paul Patterson, Sr. |
| 2012 | Chicago Fire | Wallace Boden, Sr. |
| 2008 | The Mentalist | Floyd Benton |
| 2007 | Lincoln Heights | |
| 2007 | Private Practice | Raymond McCray |
| 2006 | Heroes | Charles Deveaux |
| 2006 | Blade: The Series | |
| 2005 | The Closer | Col. D.B. Walter |
| 2005 | Close to Home | |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy | Donald Burke |
| 2004 | Desperate Housewives | Mr. Shaw |
| 2002 | The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | Self - Narrator (voice) |
| 2001 | Alias | Brill |
| 2000 | Soul Food | Hardy Lester |
| 1999 | Rescue 77 | Captain Durfee |
| 1997 | 413 Hope St. | Phil Thomas |
| 1996 | Profiler | Det. James Henegar |
| 1996 | Buddies | Henry Carlisle |
| 1995 | The Wayans Bros. | Dr. Saunders |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Murray |
| 1993 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | 'Barracuda' Jim Barnes |
| 1992 | Renegade | |
| 1992 | Vicki! | Self |
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | General (uncredited) |
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Chester Cooper |
| 1991 | Roc | Russell Emerson |
| 1990 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | |
| 1990 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Dr. Mumford |
| 1990 | Dream On | Dr. Charles |
| 1987 | A Different World | Clinton Reese |
| 1987 | Beauty and the Beast | |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street | Ben Halley |
| 1986 | L.A. Law | Judge Ira Menday |
| 1986 | Outlaws | |
| 1986 | Amen | |
| 1985 | MacGyver | R.T. Hines |
| 1985 | Hollywood Beat | |
| 1985 | A.D. | Serpenius |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Major Kevin Cooper |
| 1983 | Masquerade | Mean Willy |
| 1980 | Magnum, P.I. | Peter Jordan |
| 1977 | CHiPs | Sgt. Aikens |
| 1977 | Roots | Sam Bennett |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Dave Wilbur |
| 1974 | Dinah! | Self |
| 1973 | Shaft | |
| 1973 | The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts | Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show | Self |