Richard Roundtree has passed away. The legendary "Shaft" was 81 years old

Richard Roundtree was an American actor who made history in film and television as the "first black action hero". All thanks to his title role in the movie "Shaft" and its four sequels.

Roundtree passed away on October 24th in his home in Los Angeles. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. The actor's manager, Patrick McMinn, confessed that the disease was diagnosed just two months ago. Doctors were unable to save the 81-year-old.

Richard Roundtree was originally from New Rochelle, New York. He began his show business career as a model at the age of 21. A few years later, he turned to acting. His breakthrough came in 1971 when, at the age of 29, Roundtree first assumed the role of detective John Shaft. The movie hit "Shaft" has had four sequels and a television miniseries.

The actor was considered an icon of the blaxploitation genre and had over 150 film and television roles to his credit. He starred in such hits as "Earthquake" with Charlton Heston, "The Birdcage", "Seven", "George of the Jungle", "Who Killed Her?", "Speed Racer". In recent years, he was part of the cast of series like "Family Reunion" and "Cherish the Day".

Richard Roundtree was a two-time divorcee and a father of five children. In 1993, he was diagnosed with breast cancer. The actor then underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy.