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Richard Roundtree (Jack Blackburn)
Richard Roundtree co-stars as Jack Blackburn, Joe Louis’s manager, in International West Pictures "Joe and Max", the exciting new movie about the true story of two champion boxers, Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, and their amazing friendship which spanned three decades, from the early days of World War II through the 1960s.
With consistency being the benchmark for stardom in Hollywood, Richard Roundtree has proven his star power in every sense of the word. As a leading actor for over the last thirty years and appearing in over fifty feature films, he has established himself as a constant force in the entertainment industry.
Discovering that he enjoyed the spotlight while on a football scholarship at Southern Illinois University, Richard signed with Johnson Publications to model in their annual Ebony Fashion Fair, touring 79 cities in 90 days. Roundtree then returned to New York, his home state, began acting lessons and later became a member of New York’s acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company. A succession of Off-Broadway roles culminated in his starring role as Jack Johnson in "The Great White Hope".
Roundtree initially received international fame when Gordon Parks chose him to star as John Shaft, private detective and supercop hero in the feature film "Shaft". That role catapulted Roundtree into the international arena as one of the hottest actors on the scene. He continued the franchise with "Shaft’s Big Score", "Shaft in Africa" and the television series, "Shaft".
But Roundtree was just beginning to stretch his talents as an actor. He quickly moved on to star in a number of films with some of Hollywood’s most legendary actors that included Clint Eastwood, Robert Shaw, Peter O’Toole, Richard Harris, David Niven, Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier. Roundtree’s recent work has been just as impressive, having added the smash hit thriller "Seven" and the critically acclaimed "Once Upon a Time… When We Were Colored". Other recent features include the remake of "Shaft", reprising the role that made him famous, "Steel" with basketball superstar Shaquile O’Neal and the highly successful "George of the Jungle" for Disney Pictures. As busy as ever, Richard recently completed filming "Corky" for Disney, "Hawaiian Gardens" directed by Percy Adlon, and a British film entitled, "Al’s Lads".
Roundtree’s television credits include a series regular roles on "Outlaws" for CBS, "413 Hope Street", where he garnered an Image Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Series, and Buddies for ABC. He also has appeared in numerous Movies for Television including the top rated "Having Our Say" portraying Booker T. Washington, "Christmas in Connecticut" directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the NBC remakes of "Bonanza". He currently has a recurring role on "Showtime’s Soul Food".
An advocate for the fight against breast cancer, and a survivor himself, Roundtree is heavily involved in fundraising activities to find a cure.
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