See Shaft Samuel L. Jackson Honor The Original Shaft After His Death
After the tragic passing of iconic film star Richard Roundtree this week, an outpouring of love and support has flooded social media, remembering the actor for his lengthy work in Hollywood, most notably in the titular role of John Shaft. The actor, aged 81, died after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. One notable voice in the crowd of tribute messages came from Hollywood legend and Shaft successor Samuel L. Jackson, who shared a heartfelt farewell via Instagram.
Samuel L. Jackson paid a loving tribute to his friend and co-star, Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft.
Richard Roundtree is best known for bringing the title character to life in the classic 1971 action thriller Shaft, as well as the sequels Shaft’s Big Score and Shaft In Africa. In 2000, Samuel L. Jackson carried the mantle of the iconic unapologetically black detective as John Shaft’s nephew of the same name. The pair would share the screen for the final time in 2019’s Shaft, which brings the generational power of the cultural icon to its full prominence, as the pair work alongside Jessie T. Usher’s JJ Shaft to solve a mystery that unites three generations of bad mutha’s.
In addition to Samuel L. Jackson’s touching tribute post, several other big-name figures in entertainment took to social media to remember the original Shaft actor, including Gabriel Union, Taraji P. Henson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Carl Weathers.
The tribute Samuel L. Jackson shared on his official Instagram account to his following of over 8.2 million users includes a set photo of the three Shaft actors strutting across the street in their iconic black turtleneck and red trench coat combo. In the photo’s caption, Jackson provided some heartfelt words acknowledging Roundtree as the prototype of the Shaft character, the franchise’s creator, and the best performer to bless the screen. The Nick Fury actor continued to share some vulnerable words of admiration for the deceased actor before quoting a number of classic lyrics from the Shaft theme music.
The theme tune, composed by the late Isaac Hayes, has gone down in history as a highly quotable and often-parodied tune recognized by film fans worldwide. Outside of his career as a recording artist, Hayes is best known for voicing the character Chef from the comedy series South Park, which frequently utilized the performer’s tenure to reference Shaft in the early seasons of the show. As arguably one of the most prolific African-American actors in the modern history of film, Samuel L. Jackson is a perfect fit to carry on the legacy of the late Richard Roundtree.
Samuel L. Jackson played John Shaft II in the 2000 remake of Shaft, while he and Richard Roundtree joined Jesse Usher in the 2019 version of Shaft.
In addition to Samuel L. Jackson’s touching tribute post, several other big-name figures in entertainment took to social media to remember the original Shaft actor, including Gabriel Union, Taraji P. Henson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Carl Weathers. In each of these tributes, it was repeatedly stated that Roundtree’s inimitable impact on cinema history will be felt for decades to come, with artists such as Boots Riley, Donald Glover, and Jordan Peele taking the blaxploitation genre to bold new heights.
Samuel L. Jackson’s tribute post rapidly garnered a host of attention from loving fans, amassing well over 100,000 likes and hundreds of comments hailing Richard Roundtree’s work and legacy. Though the legendary Shaft performer is gone, he surely will not be forgotten.
