HR0511 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0511 LRB103 35299 LAW 65339 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of actor Richard Arnold Roundtree, who passed away on October 24, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree was born to Kathryn (Watkins) and John Roundtree in New Rochelle, New York on July 9, 1942; he graduated from New Rochelle High School, where he played on its nationally ranked football team; he attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) on a football scholarship from 1961 to 1963; he married Mary Jane Grant in 1963, and they had two children before divorcing in 1973; he later married Karen M. Cierna in 1980, and they had three children before divorcing in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree left SIU after signing as a model for the Ebony Fashion Fair, touring 79 cities in 90 days; following this opportunity, he returned to New York to pursue acting, joining the Negro Ensemble Company in 1967; he appeared in several Off-Broadway shows, including as heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson in a production of The Great White Hope; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree was best known for playing private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft, a role that many consider the first African American action hero; he returned to play the character in two sequels, which premiered in 1972 and 1973 respectively, and the similarly named TV series from 1973 to 1974; he later returned to the movie franchise for the 2019 remake, which featured Samuel L. Jackson taking on the titular role; and

WHEREAS, In addition to the Shaft franchise, Richard Roundtree earned more than 100 credits across film and television projects; he appeared in dozens of films, including the 1974 disaster drama Earthquake, starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, and Lorne Greene, and the 1984 buddy-crime-comedy City Heat, working alongside Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds; he made appearances in dozens of television shows, including the miniseries Roots, The Love Boat, Magnum P.I., Amen, A Different World, MacGyver, Beverly Hills 90210, L.A. Law, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, Desperate Housewives, The Closer, Grey's Anatomy, The Mentalist, and Chicago Fire; more recently, he was a regular cast member in BET's critically acclaimed series Being Mary Jane from 2013 to 2019; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree became a staunch advocate and vocal proponent of male breast cancer awareness after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, having to undergo a radical mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy to beat the disease; he participated in countless benefits to help fight cancer and was the recipient of the prestigious Jackie Robinson Foundation Award for Excellence for his work in cancer awareness; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree received several nominations and awards for his acting, including a 1972 Golden Globe Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer in the male category for his role in the movie Shaft, a Lifetime Achievement Award from MTV in 1994, and the Legacy Award from the African-American Film Critics Association in 2011; he received an honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from SIU in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree will be remembered for his impact on film, pop culture, and cancer awareness; and

WHEREAS, Richard Roundtree is survived by his daughters, Kelli, Nicole, Tayler, and Morgan, and his son, John; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Richard Arnold Roundtree and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Richard Roundtree as an expression of our deepest sympathy.