DER US-AMERIKANISCHE SCHAUSPIELER RICHARD ROUNDTREE IST GESTORBEN

25.10.2023 Der am 9. Juli 1942 in New Rochelle (New York) geborene US-amerikanische Schauspieler Richard Roundtree (Bild) ist am 24. Oktober 2023 in Los Angeles gestorben. Er wurde vor allem durch seine Rolle als Detektiv John Shaft im Blaxploitation-Film "Shaft" (1971), den beiden Fortsetzungen und der gleichnamigen Fernsehserie bekannt.

Bild: Richard Roundtree, 2007 - United States Navy photo by Kristin Fitzsimmons - Public domain - Datei: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RichardRoundtree.jpg

Richard Roundtree, ‘Shaft’ Star, Dies at 81

His death was confirmed by Patrick McMinn, his manager since 1987.

“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said in his statement. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”

Roundtree was a leading man from the very start of his lifetime in screen acting. After beginning his career in modeling, he secured “Shaft” at the age of 28, marking his feature debut. The MGM release earned $12 million in ticket sales off of a $500,000 production budget, helping to save the studio from bankruptcy. A breakthrough hit, “Shaft” set the tone for a prolific decade of Blaxploitation filmmaking and demonstrated Hollywood’s historical failure to consider Black talent and the moviegoing audiences that they could reach.

J. Kim Murphy

https://variety.com/2023/film/obituaries-people-news/richard-roundtree-dead-shaft-1235767495/

Richard Roundtree, who broke ground with his signature role in the Shaft movie franchise, passed away

Roundtree’s career spanned five decades and included everything from his most popular blaxploitation role to a very early appearance on As the World Turns in 1956 to being a Season 2 main cast member on Ava DuVernay’s OWN series Cherish the Day last year.

Nellie Andreeva

https://deadline.com/2023/10/richard-roundtree-dead-shaft-star-1235582237/

In addition to playing the street-smart private eye, he was memorable in 'Roots,' 'Once Upon a Time … When We Were Colored' and 'Man Friday.'

Richard Roundtree, the ultracool actor who helped open the door to a generation of Black filmmakers and performers with his portrayal of private eye John Shaft, “the cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger all about,” died Tuesday.

Chris Koseluk

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/richard-roundtree-dead-shaft-1235626813/

Richard Roundtree lent his velvet voice and cool cat stride to one of the most influential action heroes of the 1970s

Who is the man that would risk his neck for his brother man? “Shaft” — Can you dig it? Roundtree’s status as a cultural icon lived on and carried the actor through a five-decade Hollywood career encompassing more than 150 movie and television appearances.

Emily St.Martin

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-10-24/richard-roundtree-shaft-movies-dead-at-81

While indelibly tied to the role that made him famous in 1971, he remained active for more than four decades afterward

Richard Roundtree, the actor who redefined African American masculinity in the movies when he played the title role in “Shaft,” one of the first Black action heroes, died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles.

Anita Gates

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/24/movies/richard-roundtree-dead.html

Richard Roundtree, star of Shaft and Roots, dies aged 81

Among his more poignant films was 1996’s Once Upon a Time … When We Were Colored, the story a tight-knit Black community confronting the racism of post-war Mississippi. In the 2010s he was reintroduced to younger audiences when he played Gabrielle Union’s father in the BET series Being Mary Jane.

“Working with Richard Roundtree was a dream … He was simply the best & we all loved him,” Union tweeted.

Abené Clayton

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/24/richard-roundtree-actor-shaft-roots-dies-cancer

Der Mann, der "Shaft" war

Als "Shaft" etablierte Richard Roundtree schwarze Helden in Hollywood und prägte ein ganzes Genre.

Tobias Kniebe

https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/richard-roundtree-shaft-nachruf-1.6293360?reduced=true

Eine neue Sorte Held

Als Richard Roundtree 1971 die Rolle des Detektivs John Shaft übernahm, ahnte er anders als Leute, für die Rollen einfach Jobs sind, dass er damit Filmemacher und Schauspieler für Jahrzehnte beeinflussen sollte. Von der Art, wie er sich damals trug, führt der Weg über die direkte Hommage, die Wesley Snipes dem Vorbild als Vampirjäger in „Blade“ (1998) erwies, zum heutigen diversifizierten Blockbusterkino, in dem „Black Panther“ der Name eines Superhelden statt einer politischen Option ist.

Maria Wiesner

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/kino/zum-tod-des-shaft-darstellers-richard-roundtree-19267893.html

So wurde Richard Roundtree berühmt

Roundtree wurde 1971 mit dem Film «Shaft» über einen Privatdetektiv im New Yorker Stadtteil Harlem berühmt. In die Rolle schlüpfte er auch in mehreren Fortsetzungen und einer kurzlebigen Fernsehserie. Roundtree wirkte zudem in der Miniserie «Roots» von 1977 und anderen grossen Projekten dieser Zeit mit, unter anderem in «Erdbeben» von 1974.

https://www.blick.ch/people-tv/international/schauspieler-wurde-81-jahre-alt-shaft-darsteller-richard-roundtree-ist-tot-id19075772.html

Videos:

Richard Roundtree Interview: The Magic of Shaft & Gordon Parks as a Film Director

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53FtquYZT2M

Malcolm McDowell and Richard Roundtree Talk New Movie Moving On at TIFF 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht4QxoxcseU

Shaft (1971) - Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1ga1FgU10E

Mehr:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745780/

https://www.allmovie.com/artist/richard-roundtree-vn15396923

https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/1267473-Richard-Roundtree