- Roundtree died Tuesday after a battle with cancer, surrounded by family
- He is best known for his role as private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film
- The big hit Blaxploitation film spawned dozens of roles in the following years
Richard Roundtree, who helped define cinematic cool with his iconic title role in Shaft and its sequels, has died at the age of 81.
Roundtree died Tuesday afternoon after a short battle with pancreatic cancer Deadline.
At the time of his death he was surrounded by family.
In 2019, the movie star reprized his role in Shaft, with Samuel L. Jackson playing his son.
Roundtree first starred as detective John Shaft in 1971’s Shaft, directed by photographer and composer-filmmaker Gordon Parks and featuring a classic soundtrack recorded by Isaac Hayes.
Classic star: Richard Roundtree, who helped define cinematic cool with his iconic title role in Shaft and its sequels, has died at 81 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer; seen in 2022
Iconic role: Roundtree first starred as detective John Shaft in 1971’s Shaft, directed by photographer and composer and filmmaker Gordon Parks, with a classic soundtrack recorded by Isaac Hayes