NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Tributes poured in from across Hollywood after 'Shaft' actor Richard Roundtree died on October 24, 2023, following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, the LA Times reported.
'The View' moderator, co-host, and EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg also paid a unique tribute to Roundtree, and his popular character John Shaft on Wednesday's segment of the daytime talk show. The producers also joined in to celebrate the legacy of the late actor.
As Goldberg paid her tribute to the legendary actor on 'The View', fans lauded her and mourned the loss of the beloved actor.
Whoopi Goldberg remembers big screen’s ‘first Black action hero’
On Wednesday, Whoopi Goldberg said about Richard Roundtree, “We walked out to the Oscar-winning classic ‘Shaft’ by Isaac Hayes in order to honor the great actor Richard Roundtree, who passed away at 81. We will forever remember him as the big screen's first Black action hero.”
As the audience applauded, Goldberg continued, “So I want to talk about Shaft,” but was quickly interrupted by executive producer Brian Teta, “I don’t think we should do that.”
Teta continued, “He’s a complicated man, but nobody understands him but his women.”
“John Shaft?” asked Whoopi Goldberg, before another producer intervened, “You know that Shaft is a bad mother…”
“Shut your mouth!” yelled Goldberg as the audience and co-hosts burst into laughter. The producer clarified, “I’m talking about Shaft!”
Goldberg smiled as she looked into the camera, “John Shaft…that’s our little homage, he was a wonderful actor, gorgeous man, a wonderful man.”
The co-hosts swooned over Roundtree as ‘The View’ flashed a picture of him on the screen. Goldberg said, “We had never seen anybody like him before. When he swung in, it was like oooh. It was really something.”
Goldberg also labeled Roundtree “one of the ceiling busters.” The internet praised Goldberg, ‘The View’s homage to the ‘Shaft’ actor, and paid their own tributes.
Internet remembers Richard Roundtree
One person wrote on social media, “I love it! ❤Great tribute,” while another said, “We love Whoopi Goldberg.”
“Wonderful tribute. Loved the producer's involvement.❤❤❤❤” commented one user, while another said, “Nice tribute, and funny too! Rest in Peace, Sir!”
The Internet continued to pay their tribute to Roundtree, “Wonderful tribute, he was a bad mf! lol And aged to perfection! RIP Mr. Roundtree,” while another wrote, “He was the best. May he rest in peace.”
