Samuel L. Jackson, Gabrielle Union lead tributes to late 'Shaft' actor Richard Roundtree
Samuel L. Jackson and Gabrielle Union were among those paying tribute to Richard Roundtree in the wake of his death this week.
The actor, best known for his portrayal of Detective John Shaft in the "Shaft" film franchise, died Tuesday at the age of 81, with his family by his bedside, following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, his longtime manager told ABC News.
In the wake of his death, many in Hollywood began paying tribute to Roundtree and his groundbreaking career that spanned more than five decades.
"Richard Roundtree, The Prototype, The Best To Ever Do It!! 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," Jackson, who starred alongside Roundtree in the two most recent "Shaft" movies, wrote on Instagram.
Union, who starred alongside Roundtree in the show "Being Mary Jane," which ran from 2013 to 2017, with a two-hour finale in 2019, called working with him "a dream."
"Getting to hang with him & our Being Mary Jane family was always a good ass time with the best stories & laughs," she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "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 the best & we all loved him. #RIPRichardRoundtree."
Viola Davis said on Instagram that Roundtree "epitomized Black manhood on-screen when we so desperately needed it."
"The strength, authority, the mystery and ownership of sexuality seared through the screen and into our lives," she continued. "You left us with that. Rest well Mr. Roundtree."
Others who mourned the loss of Roundtree included "Abbott Elementary" actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who called him a "wonderful human being" in a post on X, and "Rocky" actor Carl Weathers, who said on X that Roundtree's portrayal of Shaft "influenced so many and so much."
