Remembering Richard Roundtree: A Career In Photos From ‘Shaft’ To ‘Roots’ To ‘Being Mary Jane’ & ‘Family Reunion’
Richard Roundtree #RichardRoundtree
Richard Roundtree, known for his role as Shaft in the series of films, died at the age of 81. The actor has left a legacy in both film and television for generations to come.
Roundtree made his debut in film as John Shaft in Shaft about a private detective who is hired by a mobster to help rescue his daughter who was kidnapped by Italian mobsters. The actor would go on to reprise his role of Shaft in the sequels Shaft’s Big Score (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). A reboot of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson was released in 2000 with Roundtree appearing as “Uncle” Shaft. Roundtree also played the role in the short-lived CBS series.
Other films in which Roundtree appeared in include Embassy (1972), Earthquake (1974), Man Friday (1975), Diamonds (1975), Escape to Athena (1979), City Heat (1984), George of the Jungle (1997), What Men Want (2019) and The Haunting of the Mary Celeste (2020), just to name a few.
Television credits for Roundtree include Roots (1977), The Love Boat (1980), CHiPs (1981), Magnum, P.I. (1983), A.D. (1985), Outlaws (1986), A Different World (1989), Generations (1989), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1991), Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper (1992), Buddies (1996), 413 Hope St. (1997), Rescue 77 (1999), Soul Food (2000), Alias (2003), Desperate Housewives (2004), Heroes (2006), Lincoln Heights (2007), Private Practice (2012), Being Mary Jane (2013), Chicago Fire (2015), The Player (2015), Star (2017), Family Reunion (2019), Cherish the Day (2022).
Scroll through the photo gallery below and take a look at Richard Roundtree’s career in photos!
Image Credit: Warner Bros Television/Courtesy Everett Collection
ROOTS, Leslie Uggams, Richard Roundtree, 1977
Image Credit: Lisa Hergo / TM and Copyright ©20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. / Courtesy Everett Collection
413 HOPE ST., (aka 413 HOPE STREET), Richard Roundtree, 1997-1998
Image Credit: TNT/courtesy Everett Collection
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT, from left: Richard Roundtree, Tony Curtis, Ph: Erik Heinila, 1992
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin / TV Guide / ©Touchstone Television / courtesy Everett Collection
BUDDIES, clockwise from lower left, Ari Meyers, Christopher Gartin, Richard Roundtrree, Judith Ivey, Tanya Wright, Dave Chappelle, 1996
Image Credit: NBC / courtesy Everett Collection
BONANZA: THE RETURN, front, from left, Brian Leckner, Alistair MacDougall, Michael Landon, Jr., Emily Warfield, back, Jack Elam, Dirk Blocker, Ben Johnson, Richard Roundtree, aired November 28, 1993
Image Credit: MCA Universal / courtesy Everett Collection
ANY PLACE BUT HOME, (from left): Alan Thicke, Richard Roundtree, 1997
Image Credit: Randy Holmes / ©ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection
PRIVATE PRACTICE, (from left): Alfre Woodard (back to camera), L. Scott Caldwell, Richard Roundtree, ‘The Next Episode’, (Season 6, ep. 605, aired Nov. 13, 2012)
Image Credit: Vivian Zink / © ABC Family / courtesy everett collection
LINCOLN HEIGHTS, Michael Warren, Mishon Ratliff, Nicki Michaeux, Rhyon Brown, Richard Roundtree, ‘House Arrest’, (Season 1, March 26, 2007)
Image Credit: Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
FAMILY REUNION, from left: Richard Roundtree, Jordyn Raya James, Remember My Funny Valentine?’, (Season 4/Part 4, ep. 405, aired Aug. 26, 2021)
Image Credit: John P. Fleenor / ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
FAMILY REUNION, Tia Mowry, Anthony Alabi, Loretta Devine, Richard Roundtree sin ‘Remember How This All Started?’, (Season 1, Episode 101, aired July 10, 2019)
Image Credit: BET / courtesy Everett Collection
BEING MARY JANE, (from left): Richard Roundtree, Margaret Avery, ‘Getting Nekkid’, (Season 4, ep. 401, aired Jan. 10, 2017)
Image Credit: Courtesy: Everett Collection.
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, 1973-74.
Image Credit: Universal TV/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
OUTLAWS, (top) Richard Roundtree, Charles Napier, Patrick Houser, (bot) William Lucking, Rod Taylor, 1986
Image Credit: Gene Trindl / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection
Richard Roundtree, 1973
Image Credit: Sherman Weisburd / TV Guide / Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, 1971
Image Credit: Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson, 2000
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
MAN FRIDAY, from left: Peter O’Toole, Richard Roundtree, 1975
Image Credit: Vestron/courtesy Everett Collection
THE BIG SCORE, from left: John Saxon, Fred Williamson, Richard Roundtree, 1983
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT’S BIG SCORE!, US poster art, Richard Roundtree, 1972.
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, 1971
Image Credit: Orion Pictures Corporation/courtesy Everett Collection
HELL CAMP (aka OPPOSING FORCE), (bottom l-r): Tom Skerritt, Lisa Eichhorn, Anthony Zerbe, Richard Roundtree, 1986
Image Credit: Jess Miglio / © Paramount / courtesy Everett Collection
WHAT MEN WANT, from left: Taraji P. Henson, Richard Rountree, 2019
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT IN AFRICA, Richard Roundtree, Vonetta McGee, 1973
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT IN AFRICA, Neda Arneric, Richard Roundtree, 1973
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT’S BIG SCORE, Richard Roundtree, 1972
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT’S BIG SCORE!, richard Roundtree, 1972
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT’S BIG SCORE!, Richard Roundtree, 1972
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT’S BIG SCORE!, Richard Roundtree, 1972
Image Credit: Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett Collection
MOVING ON, from left: Richard Roundtree, Jane Fonda, 2022.
Image Credit: Aaron Epstein /© Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett Collection
MOVING ON, from left: Richard Roundtree, Jane Fonda, 2022
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, 1971
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, 1971
Image Credit: Kyle Kaplan / © Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, from left: Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson, 2019
Image Credit: Kyle Kaplan / © Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
SHAFT, Richard Roundtree, 2019
Image Credit: Vertical Entertainment /Courtesy Everett Collection
HAUNTING OF THE MARIE CELESTE, Richard Roundtree, 2020
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
EMBASSY, rear from left: Richard Roundtree, Max von Sydow, Broderick Crawford, 1972
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
EMBASSY, from left: Richard Roundtree, Marie-Jose Nat, 1972
Image Credit: Cannon Films/courtesy Everett Collection
CRACK HOUSE, Richard Roundtree, 1989
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
MAN FRIDAY, from left: Peter O’Toole, Richard Roundtree, 1975
Image Credit: Marsha Blackburn/©Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, l-r; Lydell Cheshier, Richard Roundtree, Leslie Mann, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Chinyamurindi, Greg Cruttwell, Abraham Benrubi, 1997
Image Credit: Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection
CITY HEAT, from left: Richard Roundtree, Irene Cara, 1984.
Image Credit: Everett Collection
SHAFT IN AFRICA, Richard Roundtree, 1973
Image Credit: Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
HELL CAMP, (aka OPPOSING FORCE), Tom Skerritt (left), Richard Roundtree (center), 1986.
Image Credit: New Line/courtesy Everett Collection
GAME FOR VULTURES, Richard Roundtree, 1979,
Image Credit: Everett Collection
DIAMONDS, Richard Roundtree, 1975