Iconic 'Shaft' Star Richard Roundtree Passes Away at 81

Richard Roundtree, the iconic actor known for his role as John Shaft in the 1971 film "Shaft," has passed away at the age of 81. Roundtree's portrayal of the Black private eye brought a new kind of figure to the screen, unapologetically Black with swagger, and helped create the genre of Blaxploitation. He had a successful career with over 150 movie and TV credits, and also went public with his breast cancer diagnosis in 1993. Roundtree died from pancreatic cancer and is survived by five children.