Birthday:
Jul 09, 1942
Place of Birth: New Rochelle, New York, USA
Place of Birth: New Rochelle, New York, USA
Richard Roundtree
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.
Filmography
| Movie | Cast | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shaft | "Uncle" John Shaft | 2000 |
| Shaft | John Shaft | 1971 |
| Shaft in Africa | John Shaft | 1973 |
| Shaft's Big Score! | John Shaft | 1972 |
| Wild Seven | Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods | 2006 |
| Se7en | Talbot | 1995 |
| George of the Jungle | Kwame | 1997 |
| Earthquake | Miles Quade | 1974 |
| Al's Lads | Boom-Boom | 2002 |
| Young Warriors | Sergeant John Austin | 1983 |
| Speed Racer | Ben Burns | 2008 |
| Steel | Uncle Joe | 1997 |
| Amityville: A New Generation | Pauli | 1993 |
| Brick | Assistant V.P. Trueman | 2006 |
| Antitrust | Lyle Barton | 2001 |
| The Banker | Lloyd | 1989 |
| Q | Powell | 1982 |
| Opposing Force | Stafford | 1986 |
| Escape to Athena | Nat Judson | 1979 |
| Theodore Rex | Commissioner Lynch | 1995 |
| Maniac Cop | Commissioner Pike | 1988 |
| An Eye for an Eye | Capt. Stevens | 1981 |
| The Confidant | Claude | 2010 |
| City Heat | Dehl Swift | 1984 |
| Ladies of the House | Stan | 2008 |
| BaadAsssss Cinema | Self | 2002 |
| Corky Romano | Howard Shuster | 2001 |
| Angel III: The Final Chapter | Lt. Doniger | 1988 |
| Jocks | Chip | 1986 |
| Crack House | Lt. Johnson | 1989 |
| The Baron and the Kid | Frosty | 1984 |
| Hawaiian Gardens | M.O. | 2001 |
| Portrait of a Hitman | Coco Morrell | 1979 |
| Painkiller Jane | Colonel Watts | 2005 |
| Charley-One-Eye | The Black Man | 1973 |
| A Time to Die | Captain Ralph Phipps | 1991 |
| Man Friday | Friday | 1975 |
| Christmas in Connecticut | Prescott | 1992 |
| Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight | Samuel Stark | 1992 |
| One Down, Two to Go | Ralph | 1982 |
| Night Visitor | Captain Crane | 1989 |
| The Big Score | Gordon | 1983 |
| Diamonds | Archie | 1975 |
| Men Cry in the Dark | 2003 | |
| Party Line | Captain Barnes | 1988 |
| Bad Jim | July | 1990 |
| Getting Even | Dundee | 1988 |
| Moving On | Ralph | 2023 |
| Joe and Max | Jack Blackburn | 2002 |
| Inchon | Sgt. Augustus Henderson | 1981 |
| The Fifth Missile | Cmdr. Frederick Bryce | 1986 |
| Set Apart | J.T. | 2009 |
| Sins of the Night | Les | 1993 |
| Gypsy Angels | Dr. Carlson | 1990 |
| Day of the Assassin | Fessler | 1979 |
| Game for Vultures | Gideon Marunga | 1979 |
| Any Place But Home | Gil Oberman | 1997 |
| Undercover Brother | John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2002 |
| Killpoint | Agent Bill Bryant | 1984 |
| Blind Man's Bluff | Gray | 1994 |
| Deadly Rivals | Agent Peterson | 1993 |
| What Do You Say to a Naked Lady | Interracial Couple | 1970 |
| Original Gangstas | Slick | 1996 |
| All The Days Before Tomorrow | El Doctor | 2007 |
| Whatever She Wants | Theodore Wolf | 2010 |
| Thelma | Ben | 2024 |
| Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon | Tahsi | 2004 |
| Embassy | Dick Shannon | 1972 |
| Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored | Cleve | 1996 |
| Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years | Booker T. Washington | 1999 |
| Body of Influence | Harry Reams | 1993 |
| Harlem to Hollywood | Self | 2019 |
| Boat Trip | Felicia's Dad | 2002 |
| Retreat! | Henshaw | 2012 |
| Daddy Can't Read | Jason Ruigh | 1988 |
| Mind Twister | Frank Webb | 1994 |
| Point of Entry | Miles Porter | 2007 |
| Just an Overnight Guest | 1983 | |
| Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location | Self | 1971 |
| Firehouse | Shelly Forsythe | 1973 |
| Shadows of Desire | Dunc | 1994 |
| Shaft | John Shaft, Sr. | 2019 |
| Miami Cops | Gamble | 1989 |
| Bonanza: The Return | Jacob Briscoe | 1993 |
| Bonanza: Under Attack | Jacob | 1995 |
| Collar | Alonzo Sparks | 2015 |
| Black as the Heart | Rod | 1994 |
| What Men Want | Skip Davis | 2019 |
| A Family Reunion Christmas | Jebidiah McKellan | 2019 |
| Diary of a Single Mom | Lou Bailey | 2009 |
| Nationtime | Self | 1972 |
| Haunting of the Mary Celeste | Tulls | 2020 |
| Final Approach | Gary Markash | 2008 |
| Vegas Vampires | Rick Apping | 2003 |
| A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks | Self | 2021 |
| Ballistic | Harold | 1995 | Series | Cast | Year |
| A Different World | Clinton Reese | 1987 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Major Kevin Cooper | 1984 |
| Magnum, P.I. | 1980 | |
| CHiPs | Sgt. Aikens | 1977 |
| Rescue 77 | Captain Durfee | 1999 |
| Lincoln Heights | 2007 | |
| The Closer | Col. D.B. Walter | 2005 |
| Desperate Housewives | Mr. Shaw | 2004 |
| L.A. Law | Judge Ira Menday | 1986 |
| Beverly Hills, 90210 | 1990 | |
| Heroes | Charles Deveaux | 2006 |
| Alias | Brill | 2001 |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Dr. Mumford | 1990 |
| The Wayans Bros. | Dr. Saunders | 1995 |
| Beauty and the Beast | 1987 | |
| Family Reunion | Grandpa | 2019 |
| Soul Food | Hardy Lester | 2000 |
| MacGyver | R.T. Hines | 1985 |
| Profiler | Det. James Henegar | 1996 |
| Outlaws | 1986 | |
| Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | 1993 | |
| Blade: The Series | 2006 | |
| Close to Home | 2005 | |
| Shaft | 1973 | |
| Amen | 1986 | |
| Buddies | Henry Carlisle | 1996 |
| Hollywood Beat | 1985 | |
| 413 Hope St. | Phil Thomas | 1997 |
| Renegade | 1992 | |
| Masquerade | Mean Willy | 1983 |
| Being Mary Jane | Paul Patterson, Sr. | 2013 |
| Grey's Anatomy | Donald Burke | 2005 |
| The Mentalist | Floyd Benton | 2008 |
| The Player | Samuel Letts | 2015 |
| Chicago Fire | Wallace Boden, Sr. | 2012 |
| Private Practice | Raymond McCray | 2007 |
| The Mike Douglas Show | Self | 1961 |
| Dinah! | Self | 1974 |
| Vicki! | Self | 1992 |
| Roots | Sam Bennett | 1977 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self | 1962 |
| Roc | Russell Emerson | 1991 |
| A.D. | Serpenius | 1985 |
| Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | General (uncredited) | 1992 |
| Lethal Weapon | Don Bennett | 2016 |
| Touched by an Angel | Murray | 1994 |
| The Love Boat | Dave Wilbur | 1977 |
| Dream On | Dr. Charles | 1990 |
| Star | Charles Floyd | 2016 |
| GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event | Grandpa | 2020 |
| The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts | Self | 1973 |
| 21 Jump Street | Ben Halley | 1987 |
| The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | Self - Narrator (voice) | 2002 |
