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10 Facts About Richard Roundtree
He was the dude that wouldn’t cop out when there was trouble all about.
I hadn’t thought about Richard Roundtree for a long time, then I saw him in a movie last night. The movie was City Heat, and it starred Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood. Roundtree played Reynolds’ partner in a detective agency. Roundtree’s character was killed off fairly early in the movie.
The movie itself was generally panned, though I thought it was one of those “it was so bad it was entertaining” movies. But I digress.
Of course, Roundtree is best known for his work as John Shaft, private detective/sex machine. Actually, most of what I know about Richard Roundtree’s career comes from Issac Hayes’ rendition of the theme song from Shaft. With that in place, here are some facts about Richard Roundtree.
1: Roundtree’s John Shaft character is considered “the first black action hero.”
I guess Sammy Davis Jr. didn't count.
2: Richard began his professional career as a model at the Ebony Fashion Fair. So, he went from model to butt kicker.
Like the song said, he was a complicated man.
