In the wake of the announcement of his passing, thoughts from those who knew him best began pouring in. Gabrielle Union, who played his daughter on “Being Mary Jane” took to Twitter to say working with him “was a dream” and that he “was always a good ass time with the best stories & laughs.” She also confirmed what most of us would already accept as fact, in that he was “ALWAYS the coolest man in the room with the BEST vibes.” Roundtree was, is, and will forever be one of the greatest actors to grace screens big and small, regardless of race, but the impact he made in Hollywood as a Black leading man is transcendent.
Encapsulating the career and legacy of someone like Richard Roundtree is an impossible task because the doors that were opened for others because of his seminal work are immeasurable. Some other notable features include films like “Earthquake,” “Escape to Athena,” “Opposing Force,” and “Seven,” genre fare like “Maniac Cop,” “Q: The Winged Serpent,” and “Speed Racer,” and comedies like “George of the Jungle,” “Corky Romano,” and “What Men Want.” He also appeared in TV shows like “Outlaws,” the daytime soap opera “Generations,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Heroes,” “Diary of a Single Mom,” “413 Hope St.,” and “Family Reunion.”
Roundtree passed surrounded by his loving family, and survivors include his children Kelli, Nicole, Tayler, Morgan, and John. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on. After all, that cat was a bad mother…