Richard Roundtree, a US actor best known for his starring role in the Shaft film franchise, and who redefined African-American masculinity, has died aged 81, the BBC reported.

He died at home in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon with his family by his side, his manager Patrick McMinn said.

His death came after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He had been diagnosed with the disease two months before.

Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said in a statement.

“The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated,” he added.

Born on 9 July, 1942 in New Rochelle, New York, Roundtree began his acting career in the early 1960s.

A cancer survivor, Roundtree was initially quiet about it, he later became an advocate for raising awareness of the disease.

He once spoke about how a flight attendant had told him his awareness campaign saved her husband. “Not talking about my cancer was really tough,” Roundtree told ABC News in a 2007 interview.

“And now that I do talk about it all the time, it’s really become a backhanded blessing. I was getting on a plane recently, and a flight attendant ran up to me and said, ‘You save my husband’s life.’

Roundtree also appeared in a number of movies and TV series, which include the films Inchon and Seven as well as the television series Roots, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Desperate Housewives.

Samuel L Jackson, who appeared in the 2000 Shaft reboot as well as an 2019 instalment of the franchise with Roundtree, described the late actor as “the prototype, the best to ever do it”.

“His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but I’m sure a lotta y’all’s, too,” Jackson wrote on Instagram.

“Love you Brother, I see you walking down the Middle Street in Heaven & Isaac’s Conducting your song,” he added, referring to Shaft’s famous theme song which won an Oscar for best original music.