14 Facts About Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree was known for featuring in several TV series, including Roots, Generations, and Desperate Housewives.

Richard Arnold Roundtree was born on July 9,1942, in New Rochelle, New York, to John Roundtree and Kathryn Watkins.

Richard Roundtree attended New Rochelle High School, where he graduated in 1961.

Richard Roundtree subsequently attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, but eventually dropped out of college in 1963, in order to begin his acting career.

In 1967, Richard Roundtree joined the Negro Ensemble Company: he then went on to play his first theatrical role by portraying boxer Jack Johnson in the company's production of The Great White Hope.

Richard Roundtree served as a voice actor for the title character from the PlayStation game Akuji the Heartless, which was first released in 1999.

In 2004, Richard Roundtree guest-starred in several episodes of the first season of Desperate Housewives as an amoral private detective; in 2005, he played the assistant vice principal of a high school in the neo-noir mystery film Brick.

Richard Roundtree then appeared as Eddie Sutton's father-in-law in several episodes of family drama series Lincoln Heights, before playing a supporting role in the 2008 film Speed Racer, a live-action adaptation of the eponymous Japanese manga.

In 2019, Roundtree co-starred in the comedy film What Men Want, before returning to the role of John Shaft in Shaft, a new sequel to the 2000 film, opposite Samuel L Jackson and Jessie T Usher, who portrayed John Shaft II and John Shaft III, respectively.

Richard Roundtree was married and divorced twice and had five children.

Richard Roundtree married Mary Jane Grant in 1963; the couple had two children before divorcing in 1973.

Richard Roundtree dated actress and TV personality Cathy Lee Crosby shortly thereafter.

In 1993, Richard Roundtree was diagnosed with breast cancer, and subsequently underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy.

Richard Roundtree died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles on October 24,2023, at the age of 81.