Richard Roundtree Biography
Richard Roundtree was an American Actor well-known for appearing in many films and TV shows such as “Shaft”, “Brick”, “Speed Racer”, “George of the Jungle”, and “What Men Want”. He was most notably famous for the show “Shaft” as “the 1st black action hero”, where he portrayed John Shaft (a private detective). He has recently died (on October 24, 2023), due to cancer.
Richard Roundtree Age
Roundtree was born on July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York, United States. Therefore, he was 81 years old as of 2023 and used to celebrate his birthday on the 9th of June every year.
Richard Roundtree Height
Roundtree stood at an approximate height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Richard Roundtree Family
Roundtree was born to John Roundtree (father) and Kathryn Roundtree (mother). He grew up alongside his 2 siblings, Kathryn Roundtree (sister) and John Roundtree Jr. (brother).
Richard Roundtree Wife / Ex-Wives | Divorce
Roundtree was a 2-time divorced man. Most recently, he was married to Karen M. Ciernia, with whom they tied the knot in September 1980, and divorced 18 years later (1998) due to unknown reasons. His first wife was Mary Jane Grant, they were married from November 27, 1963, to December 1973, and their marriage ended in a divorce, also due to unknown reasons. It is known that Roundtree dated Cathy Lee Crosby (a TV personality and actress) for a short period of time after his divorce from his 1st wife.
Richard Roundtree Children
Roundtree was a father of 5 kids: John James Roundtree (son), Tayler Roundtree (daughter), Kelli Roundtree (daughter), Morgan Roundtree (daughter), and Nicole Roundtree (daughter). Two of them (John and Kelli) he got with his first wife Mary Jane Grant, and the other 3 with his 2nd wife, Karen M. Ciernia. Tayler is well-known as an Auburn, California-based jumping instructor.
Richard Roundtree Net Worth
Roundtree had an estimated net worth of $2 Million which he earned through his successful career as an Actor.
Richard Roundtree Education
Roundtree attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, but did not finish his studies, rather he dropped out in the year 1963 for acting. He had his high school studies at New Rochelle High School and graduated in the year 1961. During his stint there, was part of the nationally-ranked and undefeated school football team.
Richard Roundtree Career
Roundtree started his acting career in the early ’60s. He got into modeling through the Ebony Fashion Fair after being discovered by Eunice W. Johnson. After doing well as a model for the Fashion Fair, he also modeled for products like Duke hair grease from Salem cigarettes and Johnson Products. In the year 1967, Roundtree joined the Negro Ensemble Company. His very 1st job with them was playing Jack Johnson (famous boxer) in their play “The Great White Hope.”
In the early ’70s, Roundtree was a leading actor in a type of movie called Blaxploitation. His most famous role was as detective John Shaft in the action movie “Shaft” from the year 1971, and he played the same character in its sequels, “Shaft in Africa” (1973) and “Shaft’s Big Score!” (1972). He also acted with Ben Gazzara and Laurence Olivier in a movie called “Inchon” in 1981. On TV, he played a character named Dr. Daniel Reubens on “Generations” from 1989 to 1991, and Sam Bennett in the 1977 show “Roots”. In the year 1984, he was another detective in “City Heat” alongside Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood. Even though Roundtree acted in the ’90s, some of his movies didn’t do well. However, he did find success in stage plays.
In the year 2005, Roundtree began making appearances on TV shows. He played Colonel D. B. Walter (the dad of a sniper) in “The Closer” In “Heroes,” he acted as Simone’s dad, who was very sick. Later, he was in “Lincoln Heights” as Eddie’s father-in-law. Roundtree had a part in the 2008 movie “Speed Racer” as a racer who turned into a commentator and was a hero to Speed. He also appeared in an episode of “Knight Rider” in the year 2008 as the dad of Carrie Ravai (an FBI Agent). He co-starred as the dad of the main character in “Being Mary Jane,” which has been on BET since the year 2013.
In the year 2019, Roundtree was in a funny movie with the title “What Men Want.” The following year, he played John Shaft again in the movie “Shaft,” which is a follow-up to a film. In this one, he acted with Jessie Usher and Samuel L. Jackson, who played John Shaft II and III. They said Roundtree’s character was Jackson’s dad, even though in the 2000 movie, he acted like he was Jackson’s Shaft’s uncle. In the year 2019, Roundtree had a regular part in “Family Reunion.”
Richard Roundtree Award and Honors
Roundtree received several notable awards and nominations throughout his career. In the year 2011, he was honored with the Legacy Award. He was nominated for the Most Promising Newcomer in the year 1972 for his role in “Male Shaft.” In the year 2010, he received a nomination for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor for his work in “Diary of a Single Mom.” His impressive contribution to the “Shaft” film series earned him the Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 1994.
Roundtree was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture in the year 1971 for his role in “Shaft.” In the year 1998, he received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for “413 Hope St.” His talents were also recognized with a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor: Daytime in the year 1991 for “Generations.” These accolades highlight his remarkable career in the entertainment industry.
Richard Roundtree Death | Cancer
Roundtree had breast cancer in the year 1993. He had surgery to remove both breasts and got treatment with chemotherapy. On October 24, 2023, it was announced that he passed away at his home in Los Angeles, California, and the cause of his death was stated to be pancreatic cancer. However, much information about his battle with pancreatic cancer is not known.
Richard Roundtree Movies and TV Shows
Richard Roundtree Movies
Roundtree has appeared in many films such as;
- Moving On
- Haunting of the Mary Celeste
- What Men Want
- Duke
- Retreat!
- Collar
- Whatever She Wants
- This Bitter Earth
- The Trial of Ben Barry
- Go Beyond the Lens
- Veil
- The Confidant
- Set Apart
- Vegas Vampires
- Wild Seven
Richard Roundtree TV Shows
Roundtree has appeared in television shows such as;
- Cherish the Day
- Family Reunion
- Lethal Weapon
- Star
- The Player
- Chicago Fire
- Being Mary Jane
- Private Practice
- The Mentalist
- Meet the Browns
- Diary of a Single Mom
- Knight Rider
- Ladies of the House
- Lincoln Heights
- Point of Entry
Richard Roundtree Social Media Platforms
He was active on his social media accounts and often posted on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He had over 28.9K followers on Instagram.