Richard Roundtree
Biography
Richard Roundtree was an American actor who became a leading man in films of the early 1970s after starting out as a model and joining the Negro Ensemble Company in 1967, where he played boxer Jack Johnson in The Great White Hope. He was best known for playing the private detective John Shaft in Shaft (1971) and its sequels Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973), as well as the 1973 to 1974 television series, and he returned to the role in Shaft (2000) and Shaft (2019). His other films included Earthquake (1974), City Heat (1984), George of the Jungle (1997), Brick (2005), What Men Want (2019), and Moving On (2023). On television he appeared in Roots and Generations, and his final film was Thelma (2024), released after his death.
81years old at death
- Born New Rochelle
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
- Also credited as Richard Arnold Roundtree
Movie Career
- Films
- 36
- Career span
- 53 years1971 to 2024
Genres
First and latest
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A change of course
Roundtree's professional career began around 1963, when Eunice W. Johnson scouted him and he started modeling at the Ebony Fashion Fair. He later appeared in ads for Johnson Products' Duke hair grease and Salem cigarettes.
First role
Roundtree became a member of the Negro Ensemble Company in 1967. His first theatrical role came with that company, playing the boxer Jack Johnson in its production of The Great White Hope.
First role
Roundtree's first big-screen appearance was a minor role in What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?, a 1970 American reality film in the hidden-camera style. Allen Funt, who created Candid Camera, directed it.
Beyond film
Roundtree provided the voice for the title character in Akuji the Heartless, a PlayStation game that came out in 1999.
Richard Roundtree movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Gordon Parks directed two of these films, Steve Carver two. Eleven actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Christopher Lee's page
Lin Shaye's page
David Carradine's page
Elliott Gould's page
All films by Gordon Parks
Steve CarverDirector, 2 films, 1981 to 1986
All films by Steve Carver
Also two films together5 more actors
- Roger MooreBoat Trip (2002) and Escape to Athena (1979)
- Moses GunnShaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft (1971)
- James DixonManiac Cop (1988) and Q (1982)
- Drew Bundini BrownShaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft (1971)
- Ray JSteel (1997) and Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored (1995)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Richard Roundtree's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$594 million
20 of the 36 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 36 films: 20 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 3 never in cinemas; 9 figure not found.
- 20Worldwide figure
- 4US gross only
- 3Never in cinemas
- 9Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 90% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$174M29.4% of the total
- 2$108M18.1% of the total
- 3$80M13.4% of the total
- 4$70M11.7% of the total
- 5$38M6.5% of the total
- 6$24M4.0% of the total
- 7$21M3.6% of the total
- 8$18M3.1% of the total
$60.9 millionfrom the other 12 films with a worldwide figure, 10% of the total
Awards
Two awards and honors.
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.