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Roundtree died at his home in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer,
the Reporter said, citing his manager, Patrick McMinn.
Roundtree's representatives did not immediately respond to a
Reuters request for confirmation.
"Richard's work and career served as a turning point for African
American leading men in film. The impact he had on the industry
cannot be overstated," McMinn said in a statement, according to
Variety, another show business trade publication.
Roundtree shot to fame with the 1971 Blaxploitation movie
"Shaft" about a private detective in the Harlem section of New
York, and he reprised the role in a number of sequels and a
short-lived network TV series.
The rugged and streetwise character, who wore flashy leather
jackets and who was accompanied by a catchy theme song from
Isaac Hayes, helped define cool for a Black leading man and also
gained acceptance from white audiences.
Roundtree also had a role in the groundbreaking ABC television
slavery drama "Roots" in 1977 and other prominent projects of
the era, playing motorcycle daredevil Miles in 1974's
"Earthquake".
Among his more poignant films was 1996's "Once Upon a Time ...
When We Were Colored", the story a tight-knit Black community
confronting the racism of post-war Mississippi.
He also played opposite Peter O'Toole's Robinson Crusoe in "Man
Friday" in 1975 and alongside Laurence Olivier's depiction of
General Douglas MacArthur in 1981's "Inchon".
Roundtree worked regularly until the end, with 159 acting
credits to his name plus three upcoming projects yet to be
released, according to IMDB.com.
He was married twice and is survived by four daughters - Nicole,
Tayler, Morgan and Kelli Roundtree - and his son, James, Variety
said.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; editing by Miral Fahmy)
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