Editing Shaft (1971 film) (section)

==Cultural impact==
Considered as "the first Black action hero", Roundtree is credited with having an impact on the rise of African American [[leading actor]]s in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] projects, thanks to his successful performances in the [[Shaft (franchise)|Shaft franchise]].

The way Richard Roundtree portrayed Shaft created a Black male style that was so distinct and pervasive it became known as “swag”. After Shaft the representation of Black masculinity in American films was dramatically changed. It became the norm to see black men in roles that before would have been filled by white men.<ref name="St.Martin">{{cite web |last1=St. Martin |first1=Emily |date=October 25, 2023 |title=Richard Roundtree, star of the 1970s 'Shaft' film franchise, has died at 81 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-10-24/richard-roundtree-shaft-movies-dead-at-81 |access-date=October 25, 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Koseluk">{{cite web |last1=Koseluk |first1=Chris |title=Richard Roundtree, Suave Star of 'Shaft,' Dies at 81 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/richard-roundtree-dead-shaft-1235626813/ |access-date=October 24, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN_Shaft">{{cite web |last1=Fulwood III |first1=Sam |title=Opinion: After 'Shaft,' Black Americans in film were never portrayed the same way |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/28/opinions/richard-roundtree-shaft-black-actors-hollywood-fulwood/index.html |website=CNN |publisher=Warner Bros. Discovery Company |access-date=29 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029013816/https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/28/opinions/richard-roundtree-shaft-black-actors-hollywood-fulwood/index.html |archive-date=29 October 2023 |url-status=live |language=en |date=28 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="Tweedle">Tweedle, Sam, "I'm Just Talkin' About Shaft (And We Can Dig It)," ''Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict'', Internet website [http://popcultureaddict.com/movies-2/shaft-htm/], accessed August 20, 2014.</ref>