American actor Richard Roundtree, heralded as “the first Black action hero” for his starring position within the iconic 1971 hit “Shaft,” died Tuesday at 81, U.S. media reported.
Hollywood publication Deadline stated that the actor, recognized for opening doorways for different Black artists within the business, died along with his household at his bedside, “after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.”
“Shaft,” during which Roundtree performed the eponymous non-public eye John Shaft, sparked a sequence of sequels and a TV spinoffs.
Five many years later, Roundtree was nonetheless performing, showing within the tv romance drama “Cherish the Day” and movie comedy “Moving On” simply final yr.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” his supervisor Patrick McMinn stated in an announcement to Variety. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree’s main debut, “Shaft” was hailed as a founding basic within the “Blaxploitation” style the Seventies have been recognized for — which boosters say tackled race relations whereas critics blast the type for trafficking in stereotypes.
Either means, the style was important to pushing Hollywood to lastly solid Black Americans in starring roles.
“I used to look at it as a double-edged sword. But I’ve had so many people from all over the country — and all over the world actually — come up and say what that film meant to them back in ’71,” Roundtree informed broadcaster NPR in 2019. “It’s heavy.”
“The other side of it is I got typecast for quite some time, and then I’ve gone out of my way to establish a different side of my acting,” he stated.
He was largely profitable in that endeavor, with “his trailblazing career (changing) the face of entertainment around the globe,” his company informed Deadline.
“His enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
© 2023 AFP