RICHARD ROUNDTREE: 'Shaft' Actor Dies at 81 Posted by Bayer Mack on 25th Oct 2023 Veteran screen actor RICHARD ROUNDTRE (81), who defined 1970s black masculine cool with his role as detective "John Shaft" in the 1971 film SHAFT, passed away on Tuesday afternoon after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.Source: Variety Facebook Print Twitter Linkedin Pinterest