Richard Roundtree, the groundbreaking actor renowned for his iconic role in the timeless film Shaft, passes away at the age of 81

Richard Roundtree, who helped define cinematic cool with his iconic title role in Shaft and its sequels, has died at age 81.

Roundtree died on Tuesday afternoon after a short bout with pancreatic cancer, according to Deadline.

He was surrounded by family at the time of his death. 

In 2019, the screen star reprised his Shaft role with Samuel L. Jackson playing his son.