Samuel L. Jackson Pays Tribute to Late Shaft Actor Richard Roundtree
Shaft star Samuel L. Jackson paid tribute to the original Shaft actor, Richard Roundtree.
Earlier tonight came the sad news that Richard Roundtree, the original star of the Shaft feature films, had passed away at the age of 81. In addition to starring in the 1971 original Shaft movie, plus its two sequels Shaft's Big Score! and Shaft in Africa, Roundtree would reprise his role for both John Singleton's 2000 reboot of Shaft as well as the 2019 reboot from director Tim Story. Starring opposite Roundtree in both of those movies of course was Samuel L. Jackson, who took on the titular role in 2000 and was later retconned into playing Roundtree's son for hte 2019 movie. After news of Roundtree's death, the Marvel and Pulp Fiction star took to social media to pay tribute to him.
"Richard Roundtree, The Prototype, The Best To Ever Do It!!" Jackson wrote in an Instagram post, featuring the two of them in the 2019 feature film. "SHAFT, as we know it is & will always be His Creation!! His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but I'm sure a lotta y'all's, too🤎👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾Love you Brother, I see you walking down the Middle of Main Street in Heaven & Issac's Conducting your song🎶🎶👊🏾coat blowin' in wind!! Angels whispering, "That Cat SHAFT Is A Bad Mutha, Shutcho Mouth!! But I'm Talkin' Bout SHAFT!! THEN WE CAN DIGIT👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾‼️‼️‼️‼️
After appearing in both of the Shaft movies together, Jackson was previously vocal in his admiration for Roundtree as both an actor but also in how he played the iconic blaxploitation character.
"To have a guy like that who was unapologetically black, brave, cool and irreverent was a revelation," Jackson told The New York Daily News in 2019 about Roundtree. "Like, OK, we're making different kinds of movies now. By the time the Blaxploitation era hit, people tried to disparage it in an interesting sort of way, but we wanted it. We needed it. I've been going to movies all my life, so it was important that I see people who were heroes, who were sticking it to the Man, which is what basically those movies were. It was another way of going to the movies and seeing yourself win, or seeing a hero that looks like you or the hero that you can aspire to be."
News of Richard Roundtree's death broke this evening, confirm that he died earlier in the afternoon of October 24th. Roundtree's agency Artists & Representatives confirmed it also, writing in a statement: "Artists & Representatives Agency mourns the loss of our friend and client Richard Roundtree. 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."
(Cover Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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