In a career that spanned over fifty years, Richard Roundtree reshaped the landscape of film and television with many groundbreaking roles. Roundtree’s life changed forever in 1971 when Gordon Parks cast him to play private detective John Shaft in the Shaft movie franchise. The role became a turning point for Black leading men in film, launching Roundtree's career and making his name and face instantly recognizable to movie goers around the world.
Although in the early 1970s leading roles for African American actors were scarce, Roundtree was cast in projects that challenged the stereotypes of the time. These included Hollywood productions such as included Man Friday and Charley One-Eye on the big screen, as well as the television films Roots and Fire House. But making social statements on racial equality wasn’t the only new ground Roundtree explored: In the early 1990s had a recurring role in on the FOX sitcom Roc as a gay man who married his long- time partner—a first for network television.
In over 100 film and television projects, Roundtree shared the screen with some of Hollywood’s most legendary actors including Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jane Fonda, Samuel L. Jackson, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, and Peter O'Toole. Richard Roundtree will always be remembered and celebrated by audiences who found inspiration through the characters he portrayed on the screen and the life that he left behind.
