Actor Richard Roundtree, who made history with his iconic performance in the Shaft movie trilogy, died on Tuesday after a brief fight with pancreatic cancer, with his family by his side.
Richard Roundtree’s career was a patchwork that spanned five decades and included a wide range of positions. Ava DuVernay’s OWN series “Cherish the Day” had her breakout performance as a main cast member in Season 2, following her notable early appearance on “As the World Turns” in 1956.
Also read | Richard Roundtree: Cause of death, net worth, age, career, wife Mary Jane Grant, children, and more
But he is most known for playing investigator John Shaft in the action thriller from 1971. He returned to the role in the sequel, Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973). In addition, Roundtree starred in the 1973 Shaft TV series, which ran for a brief time.
The actor was married twice. He was first married to Mary Jane Grant and the second time he got married to Karen M. Ciernia.
Also read | Who is Richard Roundtree’s ex-wife, Mary Jane Grant?
Who is Karen M. Ciernia?
Karen M. Ciernia is the second ex-wife of actor Richard Roundtree. Trevor, Richard Jr., and Tayler were their three children together.
Karen M. Ciernia’s profession and personal life are still mostly unknown, and not much is known about her public activities following her 1998 divorce from Roundtree.
Although the details of Roundtree and Ciernia’s first encounter are unknown, they got married on September 19, 1980. Their eighteen-year marriage ended in divorce in 1998.
Roundtree has not made many remarks in public about his marriage to Ciernia or the reasons behind their breakup. In 1993, nevertheless, he stated in an interview with Essence magazine that he was looking for a wife who would be “intelligent,” “supportive,” and a “good mother to his children.” He also stressed how important it was for a woman to challenge and engage him intellectually.
