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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
July 9, 1942
Died
October 24, 2023
Place of Birth
New Rochelle, New York, USA
Richard Roundtree
1.2 Popularity
Biography
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.
Known For
6.9
Ben
Thelma
2024
5.8
Ralph
Moving On
2023
6.8
Self
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
2021
5.2
Tulls
Haunting of the Mary Celeste
2020
6.9
Grandpa
GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event
2020
5.9
Jebidiah McKellan
A Family Reunion Christmas
2019
8.0
Grandpa
Family Reunion
2019
0.0
Self
Harlem to Hollywood
2019
6.5
John Shaft, Sr.
Shaft
2019
6.2
Skip Davis
What Men Want
2019
Credits
Thelma
as Ben
2024
6.9
Moving On
as Ralph
2023
5.8
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
as Self
2021
6.8
Haunting of the Mary Celeste
as Tulls
2020
5.2
GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event
as Grandpa
2020
6.9
A Family Reunion Christmas
as Jebidiah McKellan
2019
5.9
Family Reunion
as Grandpa
2019
8.0
Harlem to Hollywood
as Self
2019
0.0
Shaft
as John Shaft, Sr.
2019
6.5
What Men Want
as Skip Davis
2019
6.2
Star
as Charles Floyd
2016
8.0
Lethal Weapon
as Don Bennett
2016
7.3
The Player
as Samuel Letts
2015
6.2
Collar
as Alonzo Sparks
2015
0.0
Being Mary Jane
as Paul Patterson, Sr.
2013
7.1
Chicago Fire
as Wallace Boden, Sr.
2012
8.4
Retreat!
as Henshaw
2012
0.0
The Confidant
as Claude
2010
4.6
Whatever She Wants
as Theodore Wolf
2010
6.7
Diary of a Single Mom
as Lou Bailey
2009
4.0
Set Apart
as J.T.
2009
3.0
Ladies of the House
as Stan
2008
4.5
The Mentalist
as Floyd Benton
2008
8.4
Final Approach
as Gary Markash
2008
5.0
Speed Racer
as Ben Burns
2008
6.3
Point of Entry
as Miles Porter
2007
4.7
Private Practice
as Raymond McCray
2007
7.5
All The Days Before Tomorrow
as El Doctor
2007
6.8
Lincoln Heights
2007
8.7
Heroes
as Charles Deveaux
2006
7.5
Blade: The Series
2006
6.4
Brick
as Assistant V.P. Trueman
2006
6.8
Wild Seven
as Lee Marvin / Cleetus Woods
2006
4.0
Painkiller Jane
as Colonel Watts
2005
4.9
Close to Home
as Cyrus Carter
2005
5.9
The Closer
as Col. D.B. Walter
2005
7.9
Grey's Anatomy
as Donald Burke
2005
8.2
Max Havoc: Curse Of The Dragon
as Tahsi
2004
4.5
Desperate Housewives
as Mr. Shaw
2004
7.9
Vegas Vampires
as Rick Apping
2003
3.4
Men Cry in the Dark
2003
7.0
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2002
0.0
Boat Trip
as Felicia's Dad
2002
5.3
BaadAsssss Cinema
as Self
2002
5.9
Al's Lads
as Boom-Boom
2002
5.8
Undercover Brother
as John Shaft (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
5.9
Joe and Max
as Jack Blackburn
2002
4.6
Hawaiian Gardens
as M.O.
2001
1.0
Corky Romano
as Howard Shuster
2001
4.3
Alias
as Brill
2001
6.8
Antitrust
as Lyle Barton
2001
6.0
Soul Food
as Hardy Lester
2000
7.0
Shaft
as "Uncle" John Shaft
2000
6.0
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
as Booker T. Washington
1999
7.5
Rescue 77
as Captain Durfee
1999
1.0
413 Hope St.
as Phil Thomas
1997
0.0
Steel
as Uncle Joe
1997
4.3
George of the Jungle
as Kwame
1997
5.6
Any Place But Home
as Gil Oberman
1997
0.0
Profiler
as Det. James Henegar
1996
7.0
Original Gangstas
as Slick
1996
5.6
Buddies
as Henry Carlisle
1996
4.7
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored
as Cleve
1996
3.6
Theodore Rex
as Commissioner Lynch
1995
3.6
Se7en
as Talbot
1995
8.4
Ballistic
as Harold
1995
2.8
Bonanza: Under Attack
as Jacob
1995
6.5
The Wayans Bros.
as Dr. Saunders
1995
7.2
Touched by an Angel
as Murray
1994
7.2
Shadows of Desire
as Dunc
1994
1.5
Blind Man's Bluff
as Gray
1994
0.0
Body of Influence
as Harry Reams
1994
4.3
Mind Twister
as Frank Webb
1994
3.2
Black as the Heart
as Rod
1994
0.0
Sins of the Night
as Les
1993
4.3
Bonanza: The Return
as Jacob Briscoe
1993
6.5
Amityville: A New Generation
as Pauli
1993
4.2
Deadly Rivals
as Agent Peterson
1993
5.8
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
as 'Barracuda' Jim Barnes
1993
7.6
Christmas in Connecticut
as Prescott
1992
4.7
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
as General (uncredited)
1992
6.6
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
as Chester Cooper
1992
6.6
Renegade
1992
6.7
🎬
Vicki!
as Self
1992
5.0
Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight
as Samuel Stark
1992
4.6
A Time to Die
as Captain Ralph Phipps
1991
4.4
Roc
as Russell Emerson
1991
7.8
Beverly Hills, 90210
as Robinson Ashe Jr.
1990
7.3
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Dr. Mumford
1990
7.9
Dream On
as Dr. Charles
1990
6.9
Gypsy Angels
as Dr. Carlson
1990
2.6
Bad Jim
as July
1990
7.3
The Banker
as Lloyd
1989
4.1
Crack House
as Lt. Johnson
1989
5.1
Night Visitor
as Captain Crane
1989
4.1
Miami Cops
as Gamble
1989
5.0
Angel III: The Final Chapter
as Lt. Doniger
1988
5.1
Party Line
as Captain Barnes
1988
4.9
Getting Even
as Dundee
1988
3.5
Maniac Cop
as Commissioner Pike
1988
6.1
Daddy Can't Read
as Jason Ruigh
1988
0.0
Beauty and the Beast
1987
7.4
A Different World
as Clinton Reese
1987
7.0
21 Jump Street
as Ben Halley
1987
7.2
Outlaws
1986
6.8
Jocks
as Chip
1986
4.3
Amen
1986
6.5
L.A. Law
as Judge Ira Menday
1986
7.0
Opposing Force
as Stafford
1986
4.3
The Fifth Missile
as Cmdr. Frederick Bryce
1986
4.8
MacGyver
as R.T. Hines
1985
7.7
Hollywood Beat
1985
5.0
A.D.
as Serpenius
1985
5.1
City Heat
as Dehl Swift
1984
5.5
The Baron and the Kid
as Frosty
1984
0.0
Murder, She Wrote
as Major Kevin Cooper
1984
7.5
Killpoint
as Agent Bill Bryant
1984
5.5
Masquerade
as Mean Willy
1983
5.0
Young Warriors
as Sergeant John Austin
1983
3.5
Just an Overnight Guest
1983
7.0
The Big Score
as Gordon
1983
5.0
One Down, Two to Go
as Ralph
1982
4.2
Q
as Powell
1982
5.7
An Eye for an Eye
as Capt. Stevens
1981
5.1
Inchon
as Sgt. Augustus Henderson
1981
3.4
Magnum, P.I.
as Peter Jordan
1980
7.3
Day of the Assassin
as Fessler
1979
4.5
Game for Vultures
as Gideon Marunga
1979
4.4
Escape to Athena
as Nat Judson
1979
5.7
Portrait of a Hitman
as Coco Morrell
1979
4.2
The Love Boat
as Dave Wilbur
1977
6.3
CHiPs
as Sgt. Aikens
1977
6.8
Roots
as Sam Bennett
1977
7.4
Diamonds
as Archie
1975
5.4
Man Friday
as Friday
1975
6.9
Earthquake
as Miles Quade
1974
6.1
Dinah!
as Self
1974
6.7
Shaft
as John Shaft
1973
7.2
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
as Self
1973
5.4
Shaft in Africa
as John Shaft
1973
6.0
Charley One-Eye
as The Black Man
1973
4.7
Firehouse
as Shelly Forsythe
1973
4.6
Nationtime
as Self
1972
8.0
Shaft's Big Score!
as John Shaft
1972
6.0
Embassy
as Dick Shannon
1972
5.0
Shaft
as John Shaft
1971
6.4
Soul in Cinema: Filming 'Shaft' on Location
as Self
1971
7.0
What Do You Say to a Naked Lady
as Interracial Couple
1970
3.8
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.5
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
1961
5.4