LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Famous for playing investigator John Shaft in Gordon Parks' 1971 action thriller, Blaxploitation icon Richard Roundtree died on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, afternoon following a brief fight with pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years old.
With five children, Roundtree had two marriages and two divorces: first to Mary Jane Grant and later to Karen Michelle Ciernia.
After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 1993, Roundtree had chemotherapy and a double mastectomy.
Roundtree's longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, and his agency, Artists & Representatives, confirmed his death to Deadline.
They stated: "His trailblazing career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
'Shaft' actor was married and divorced twice
Roundtree had five children, two marriages, and two divorces. He was first married to Mary Jane Grant, on November 27, 1963.
Before getting divorced in December 1973, Roundtree and Grant had two kids. Soon after, he dated TV personality and actress Cathy Lee Crosby.
In November 1963, Roundtree married Mary Jane Grant, his first wife. They shared two children together: John James (actor's only son) and his eldest daughter Kelli.
However, the marriage ended a decade later, in December 1973.
Although Roundtree never discussed the split in public, he stated in an interview with Ebony Magazine in 1972 that he was searching for an "independent" partner to help him further his career.
Roundtree wed Karen Michelle Ciernia seven years after his divorce, and the two went on to have three children together: Nicole, Morgan, and Taylor. The couple was married for eighteen years before divorcing in 1998.
Although their divorce's cause is still unknown, Roundtree told Essence Magazine in 1993—years before they split up—that he was looking for a "supportive" and "intelligent" partner who would be "a good mother to my children," per Opoyi.
It's fascinating to note that, per Opoyi, he dated actress and TV personality Cathy Lee Crosby in between his two marriages.
Brief overview of Richard Roundtree's life and work
Born and raised in New Rochelle, New York, Roundtree left college in 1963 to focus on his acting and modeling.
He appeared in commercials for Salem cigarettes and Duke's hair products after doing some major modeling work for the Ebony Fashion Fair that year.
The actor had previously fought a 1993 diagnosis of breast cancer. After undergoing a double mastectomy, he went on to serve as the Susan G. Komen foundation spokesperson.
He later became an actor in plays, including 'The Great White Hope' and 'Mau Mau Room,' performing with the New York-based theatrical group N***o Ensemble Company.
But he first gained notoriety in the 1970s action film 'Shaft,' as private investigator John Shaft, and in its two sequels. His other noteworthy filmography consists of "'City Heat,' 'Inchon,' and 'Man Friday.'
He also contributed to television programs, including the ABC miniseries 'Roots' and 'Desperate Housewives,' which aired in 1977.
The 1996 movie "Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored," which was the first that his father had approved, is said to have been Roundtree's most important effort, per The Hollywood Reporter. His final role was in the 2019 movie 'Family Reunion.'
