Tributes Pour In After “Shaft” Star Richard Roundtree Loses His Battle With Pancreatic Cancer

“Shaft” star Richard Roundtree lost his battle with pancreatic cancer this week. 

The adored actor is known for his role as Detective John Shaft in the franchise. He also starred in “Roots.” He passed away on Tuesday in his Los Angeles home surrounded by family. This was not the star’s first battle with the disease. In 1993, he was diagnosed with breast cancer, a rare occurrence for men. He underwent a double mastectomy that same year. As a man experiencing breast cancer, Roundtree kept quiet about his diagnosis for years before using his ordeal to raise awareness. 

Roundtree’s career earned him several award nominations from the NAACP Image Awards and the Golden Globes. Following his early success, he appeared on a long list of shows such as “Beverly Hill, 90210” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” It’s unknown when Roundtree received his latest diagnosis, but he’d been working in recent years, appearing in the 2023 comedy “Moving On,” alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. He also appeared in OWN’s “Cherish The Day” last year. 

Tributes have poured in from Roundtree’s acting colleagues. Gabrielle Union said working with the longtime actor on “Being Mary Jane” was a “dream.” Tia Mowry shared a touching tribute to Roundtree, who worked with her on the Netflix series “Family Reunion.” On Instagram, she wrote, “Richard, you have made such a lasting impact on my life. I am forever grateful for your warm energy, your light, your heart, and your incredible wisdom.” Samuel L. Jackson praised his friend, calling him “the prototype” and “best to ever do it.”

Working with Richard Roundtree was a dream. Getting to hang with him & our Being Mary Jane family was always a good ass time with the best stories & laughs. He was ALWAYS the coolest man in the room with the BEST vibes & ppl would literally run over to come see him. He was simply… pic.twitter.com/1N8fHVDsA6

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) October 25, 2023

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The OG. And a lovely man. RIP https://t.co/8dBhaAAibB

— Jeffrey Wright 🥜 (@jfreewright) October 25, 2023

Roundtree was 81 years old.