Sad to see Richard go. Obviously, most people will always remember him for starring in Shaft, the Blaxpoitation movie that got the genre really going in the Seventies. Its success even spilled over into other genres, namely in the co-lead actress in The Omega Man! For me Richard had a great turn being in the underrated Speed Racer film as a Jackie Stewart type. But back to Shaft which was a helluva’ role for him. As per Joe Bob Briggs’ great book Profoundly Disturbing, Richard was a former model who grew up in the suburbs, the one where The Dick Van Dyke Show was set in. So he had to practice walking around without looking both ways, as if he owned the streets. It worked! During the opening scenes of the legendary movie, you’ll see him get clipped by a car while he was crossing. This was a real thing, not staged. Well, plus the director didn’t get NYC closed off to shoot.
Thanks for everything Richard! You were instrumental in raising Black Americans’ (and dare I say Canadians?) profile as lead actors in Action movies. Plus you helped out a whole genre with additional greats: Truck Turner, Cleopatra Jones, Black Belt Jones and all the stuff Rudy Ray Moore did. You will be greatly missed.