Richard Roundtree

A member of New York's renowned Negro Ensemble Company, one of his best early stage roles was as black heavyweight boxing champ 'Jack Johnson (VIII)_ (1878-1946) in "The Great White Hope.".

A member of New York's renowned Negro Ensemble Company, one of his best early stage roles was as black heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson (1878-1946) in "The Great White Hope.".

His performance as John Shaft in Shaft (1971) is ranked #62 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Has tried to disassociate himself as a "black action hero" ever since he portrayed his famed role as John Shaft in the three Shaft films. From Miles Quade (the African-American motorcycle stuntman in an Evel Knievel mold in Earthquake (1974) to an elderly senior citizen in "Soul Food" (2000), he has came to terms with the fact that he will always be known as Shaft.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, he is an advocate now and talks to men's groups about early detection.

Son, John James, b. 3 November 1998.