Richard Roundtree was suffering from pancreatic cancer and passed away at the age of 81
American actor Richard Roundtree passed away at the age of 81 after battling pancreatic cancer.
The 81-year-old was known as the first black action hero and one of his most memorable roles was as John Shaft in the Shaft movie from 1971.
Roundtree was born in New Rochelle, New York and even played for his school’s football team. He dropped out of college to pursue his acting career in 1963 and was extremely successful.
Roundtree starred in several Shaft movies which later saw Samuel L Jackson take up the role. Several top stars tweeted their condolences after learning of Roundtree’s passing away.
This wasn’t the first time Roundtree was diagnosed with cancer. The Shaft star was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, and spoke about this way back in 2007. (h/t ABC News)
“The doctor told me, ‘You have breast cancer.’
“I heard the cancer part first — it was only later that I heard the breast part. I couldn’t believe it.”
Roundtree found the lump while shooting a movie and then sought treatment for the problem. However, he added that he didn’t speak about the diagnosis of treatment till after he was free from cancer.
Breast cancer in men is about just 1% of all cases that take place, but any lump found in the body should be checked out.
A legendary figure for everyone
While Roundtree broke ground after speaking about his breast cancer diagnosis, he will always be remembered for his roles.
The American won several nominations for his role as Shaft and was also called the first black action hero.
Furthermore, Shaft became a powerful symbol for blacks. While many new cinema fans will think of Samuel L Jackson as Shaft, it was Roundtree that made the character who he is today.
Jackson and Roundtree did play roles in the 2019 Shaft movie, which was a sequel to the 2000 film.
Roundtree also had some incredible roles on television, and his legacy will live on forever.
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