Richard Arnold 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. Roundtree died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He was cremated at Chapel of the Pines Crematory. His family hosted a memorial service for him at Saint Catherine African Methodist Episcopal Church in New Rochelle, New York on February 17, 2024.

Filmography

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

Appearances as themselves (13)

• 2025Breakdown: 1975 — Self (Shaft- archive footage)
• 2021A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks — Self
• 2019Harlem to Hollywood — Self
• 2002BaadAsssss Cinema — Self
• The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow — Self - Narrator (voice)
• Vicki! — Self
• Dinah! — Self
• 1973Listen to a Stranger: An Interview with Gordon Parks — Self / Shaft (archive footage)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts — Self
• 1972Nationtime: Gary — Self
• 1971Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self