Who was Richard Roundtree married to? Family and all you need to know, as ‘Shaft’ star dies aged 81

On Tuesday, October 24, Golden Globe-nominated actor Richard Roundtree, nicknamed “the first black action hero” of Hollywood, passed away in his Los Angeles home. He was 81 years old at the time of his demise.

Richard Roundtree succumbed to pancreatic cancer, as per his manager Patrick McMinn’s statement to The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with it two months ago. However, his battle with cancer dates back to 1993, when he was first diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy, as per the news outlet. Here's what Patrick McMinn also told the BBC.

“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African-American leading men in film. The impact he had on the film industry cannot be overstated.”

The Shaft actor was married and divorced twice, first to Mary Jane Grant and later to Karen Michelle Ciernia. Richard Roundtree also had five kids.

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Here’s everything you need to know about Richard Roundtree’s family

Richard Roundtree tied the knot with his first wife, Mary Jane Grant, in November 1963. The couple had two children, John James (the actor’s only son) and his eldest daughter Kelli. However, the marriage ended a decade later, in December 1973.

While Richard Roundtree never spoke of his split publicly, as per Opoyi, he said during a 1972 interview with Ebony Magazine that he was looking for an “independent” companion who would support his career.

Seven years after his divorce, Roundtree married Karen Michelle Ciernia, and the couple had three kids together – Nicole, Morgan, and Taylor. Their marriage lasted for eighteen years, and the duo got divorced in 1998.

While the reason behind their divorce remains unknown, in 1993, years before separating, Roundtree told Essence Magazine that he was in search of an “intelligent” and “supportive” partner who would be “a good mother to my children,” as reported by Opoyi.

Interestingly, in between his two marriages, he dated actress and TV personality Cathy Lee Crosby, according to Opoyi.

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Exploring, in brief, the life and career of Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree was born and raised in New Rochelle, New York, and dropped out of college to pursue his acting and modeling careers in 1963. His first notable work was modeling for the Ebony Fashion Fair that year, followed by appearances in advertisements, including for Salem cigarettes and Duke’s hair products.

Later, he also joined the New York-based theater company N*gro Ensemble Company and acted in plays such as The Great White Hope and Mau Mau Room.

However, he rose to fame with his role as John Shaft, a private detective, in the 1970s action movie Shaft, followed by his two sequels. His other notable filmography includes Man Friday, Inchon, and City Heat. He also worked on TV shows, such as the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots and Desperate Housewives, among others.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Roundtree once stated that his most significant work was the 1996 film Once Upon a Time…When We Were Colored, as it was his first film that his father approved. One of his last works was in the 2019 film Family Reunion.