Richard Roundtree facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Roundtree
Roundtree in a 1973 publicity photo
Born	(1942-07-09)July 9, 1942 New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Died	October 24, 2023(2023-10-24) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	New Rochelle High School
Alma mater	Southern Illinois University
Occupation	Actor and singer
Years active	1963–2023
Notable work	John Shaft – Shaft (1971), Shaft's Big Score! (1972), Shaft in Africa (1973), Shaft (2000), Shaft (2019)
Spouse(s)	Mary Jane Grant ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1973)​ Karen M. Ciernia ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1998)​
Children	5

Richard Roundtree (born July 9, 1942 – died October 24, 2023) was an American actor. He was famous for playing the private detective John Shaft in the 1971 movie Shaft. Many people called him "the first black action hero" because of this role. He also starred in four more Shaft movies between 1972 and 2019. For his first Shaft film, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1972.

Early life and education

Richard Roundtree was born on July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York. His parents were John Roundtree and Kathryn Watkins. He went to New Rochelle High School and finished in 1961.

While in high school, Richard played football for his school team. They were very good and even ranked nationally. After high school, he attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. However, he left college in 1963 to start his acting career.

Acting career

Richard Roundtree began his acting journey around 1963. He first started as a model for the Ebony Fashion Fair. This happened after Eunice W. Johnson discovered him. After becoming a successful model, he appeared in ads for products like Duke hair grease and Salem cigarettes.

In 1967, Richard joined the Negro Ensemble Company, a theater group. His first big role with them was playing the famous boxer Jack Johnson. This was in a play called The Great White Hope. He also acted in another play called Mau Mau Room in 1969.

Becoming a star

Richard Roundtree became a leading actor in the early 1970s. His most famous role was detective John Shaft in the action movie Shaft (1971). He then played Shaft in two more movies: Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973).

He also acted with famous actors like Laurence Olivier in the movie Inchon (1981). On television, he played Sam Bennett, a slave, in the 1977 TV series Roots. He was also Dr. Daniel Reubens on the show Generations from 1989 to 1991. In 1984, he played another private detective in City Heat, alongside Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds.

Later career and iconic roles

Even though many of his films in the 1990s were not very popular, Richard found success in stage plays. He also became a well-known face on television again.

On September 19, 1991, he appeared in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 with Vivica A. Fox. He was also in David Fincher's popular movie Seven in 1995.

In 2000, he returned as John Shaft in the movie Shaft. In this film, Samuel L. Jackson played the main character, who was described as the original Shaft's nephew. Richard also guest-starred in Desperate Housewives as a private detective. He appeared in George of the Jungle (1997) and played a high school vice-principal in Brick (2005). His voice was used for the main character in the PlayStation game Akuji the Heartless.

Roundtree in 2007

From 2005, Richard appeared in the TV series The Closer. He played Colonel D. B. Walter. He was also in Heroes as Charles Deveaux, the father of Simone. Later, he appeared as Eddie's father-in-law in Lincoln Heights.

In 2008, he had a supporting role in the Speed Racer movie. He played a former racer who became a commentator. He also appeared in Knight Rider (2008) and co-starred as the lead character's father on Being Mary Jane, which started in 2013.

In 2019, Richard Roundtree acted in the comedy movie What Men Want. He also returned to his famous role as John Shaft in the movie Shaft. In this film, he acted alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Jessie Usher. This time, Richard's character was shown as Jackson's character's father. He also starred in the movie Family Reunion in 2019.

Personal life and later years

Richard Roundtree was married and divorced twice. He had five children. His first marriage was to Mary Jane Grant in 1963, and they had two children before divorcing in 1973. He later married Karen M. Ciernia in 1980, and they had three children. They divorced in 1998.

Richard faced some health challenges during his life. Richard Roundtree passed away on October 24, 2023, at the age of 81.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Richard Roundtree para niños