Richard Roundtree, a Hollywood icon who played John Shaft in the 1971 introduction to the "Shaft" film franchise, has died after a battle with cancer at age 81.
His manager, Patrick McMinn of McMinn Management and Artists & Representatives Agency, confirmed his passing in a statement. He said the actor had pancreatic cancer and died Tuesday afternoon.
His family was at his side, McMinn said.
Though it was not his cause of death, Roundtree was also a well-known breast cancer survivor. He was diagnosed in 1993, and throughout his survival advocated for greater breast cancer awareness among men.
Roundtree was born in New Rochelle, New York, played football for Southern Illinois University and did some modeling, according to his
IMDB biography. He was drawn to theater and joined New York's acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company, then starred as Jack Johnson in
The Great White Hope off-Broadway before the role of John Shaft presented itself, according to the bio.
The 1971 film, directed by the legendary Gordon Parks, won Oscars for Best Music and Original Song for Isaac Hayes' eponymous hit and other music he created for it. The role of John Shaft, the "hotter than Bond, cooler than Bullitt" private detective, changed Roundtree's life and the course of Hollywood by introducing him as an unapologetic protagonist and subterranean fighter of crime.
"His trailblazing career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come," McMinn said.
