Richard Roundtree, star of hit ‘Shaft’, dies at 81

Cast member Richard Roundtree poses at the premiere of the movie Cast member Richard Roundtree poses at the premiere of the movie

American actor Richard Roundtree, heralded as “the first Black action hero” for his starring role in the iconic 1971 hit “Shaft,” died Tuesday at 81, US media reported. Hollywood publication Deadline said that the actor, known for opening doors for other Black artists in the industry, died with his family at his bedside, “after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.”

“Shaft,” in which Roundtree played the eponymous private eye John Shaft, sparked a series of sequels and a TV spinoff. Five decades later, Roundtree was still acting, appearing in the television romance drama “Cherish the Day” and film comedy “Moving On” just last year. “Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” his manager Patrick McMinn said in a statement to Variety. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”

Roundtree’s major debut, “Shaft” was hailed as a founding classic in the “Blaxploitation” genre the 1970s were known for – which boosters say tackled race relations while critics blast the style for trafficking in stereotypes. Either way, the genre was critical to pushing Hollywood to finally cast Black Americans in starring roles.

“I used to look at it as a double-edged sword. But I’ve had so many people from all over the country – and all over the world actually – come up and say what that film meant to them back in ’71,” Roundtree told broadcaster NPR in 2019. “It’s heavy.” “The other side of it is I got typecast for quite some time, and then I’ve gone out of my way to establish a different side of my acting,” he said.

He was largely successful in that endeavor, with “his trailblazing career (changing) the face of entertainment around the globe,” his agency told Deadline. “His enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Le Monde with AFP

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Michelle Williams does a viral Justin Timberlake impression as she narrates Britney Spears’ memoir

Michelle Williams‘ impression of Justin Timberlake deserves an Oscar fo’ shiz.

“The Fabelmans” and “Brokeback Mountain” actor narrates the audio edition of Britney Spears’ memoir, “The Woman in Me,” which dropped Tuesday. Spears reads only the introduction and prologue, then lets Williams take it from there.

“This book has been a labor of love and all the emotions that come with it,” Spears says at the beginning of the book. “Reliving everything that you’re about to hear has been exciting, heart wrenching and emotional to say the least. For those reasons, I will only be reading a small part of my audio book. I’m so grateful to the amazing Michelle Williams for reading the rest of it and to you for listening.”

Spears seems to have picked the perfect person to narrate her story, as Williams is already going viral for her impression of Timberlake, whose relationship with Spears is detailed in both agonizing and hilarious detail. In one scene, Spears writes about the former boy-band member trying to impress singer Ginuwine in New York City, and Williams narrates what he said with a certain flair that has social media calling the snippet “the greatest clip of audio since Watergate.”

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“His band *NSYNC was back then what people called ‘so pimp.’ They were white boys but they loved hip-hop. To me, that’s what separated them from the Backstreet Boys, who seemed very consciously to position themselves as a white group,” Spears wrote. “*NSYNC hung out with Black artists. Sometimes I thought they tried too hard to fit in.

“One day J and I were in New York, going to parts of town I had never been to before. Walking our way was a guy with a huge, blinged-out medallion. He was flanked by two giant security guards. J got all excited and said so loud, ‘Oh yeah, fo’ shiz fo’ shiz, Ginuwine, what’s up homie?’ After Ginuwine walked away, [Spears’ longtime assistant] Felicia did an impression of J … J wasn’t even embarrassed. He just took it and looked at her like, ‘OK, f— you Fe.’”

“The Woman in Me,” which reportedly came out of a $15-million deal with Gallery Books, an imprint of publishing giant Simon & Schuster, hit bookstore shelves Oct. 24, and the audiobook was published simultaneously with other editions. Spears said in late September that she was “doing the [finishing] touches on it” and has previously described the writing process as “hard,” “healing” and “therapeutic.”

“I stand with Britney,” Williams said in a statement from Simon & Schuster Audio. A representative for the Oscar-nominated star did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for further comment.

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A clip of Michelle Williams narrating Britney Spears’ book goes viral: ‘Nothing can prepare you’

Britney Spears’ long-anticipated memoir “The Woman In Me” is finally here, and it’s not just her writing that’s getting praise.

On October 24, the memoir debuted alongside its audiobook version, which is narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Michelle Williams. The two-time Golden Globe Award winner and Academy Award nominee has received critical praise for her performances in films such as “My Week with Marilyn” and “The Fabelmans.”

Her latest performance as the audiobook reader for “The Woman In Me” has people taking to social media to praise her delivery of the memoir.

People have reacted in particular to Williams’ reading of a passage about Spears’ former boyfriend Justin Timberlake, and his performative behavior as a member of ‘N Sync. Spears dated from 1999 until 2002.

In the audiobook, Williams reads Spears’ writing with zero hesitation and a heavy dose of zeal.

“His band ‘N Sync was what people back then called ‘so pimp,’” Williams reads in the audio recording of Spears’ book.

“They were white boys, but they loved hip-hop. To me, that’s what separated them from the Backstreet Boys, who seemed very consciously to position themselves as a white group. ‘N Sync hung out with Black artists.”

“Sometimes, I thought they tried too hard to fit in,” the passage continues. “One day, J and I were in New York going to parts of town I had never been to before. Walking our way was a guy with a huge blinged-out medallion. He was flanked by two giant security guards. J got all excited and said so loud, ‘Oh yeah fo shiz fo shiz, Genuine. What’s up, homey.’”

“I never had any real opinions on Michelle Williams before, but I bet she’s incredibly fun to hang out with,” one user wrote in a tweet about Williams’ audio reading.

“ijbol,” another user wrote in response to the audiobook. “Ijbol” recently overtook “LOL” on social media platforms and stands for “I just burst out laughing.”

“Can Michelle Williams win an Oscar for this audiobook?” another user inquired over the viral clips.

“No, but she can win a Grammy,” another user replied.

It’s true that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards members of the entertainment industry Oscars yearly, does not have an award for audiobook performances. The Recording Academy of the United States, however, which issues Grammy awards, does provide an award for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording.

In 2023, Viola Davis received the award for her performance of “Finding Me.

Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman In Me” debuted on Oct. 24.

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