Before I met with Richard Roundtree at a hotel bar here at the Toronto International Film Festival, I was given one polite request from his publicist, “Maybe let’s mot talk about Shaft.” This, of course, refers to the 1971 classic that was Roundtree’s first film and I’m sure he has had to talk about it every single day for the last 51 years. (By the way, I just rewatched Shaft a couple of weeks ago and it truly is an excellent movie.) So, knowing there’s no real way to come up with a unique Shaft question anyway, this request seemed fair. And Roundtree has those aforementioned 51 years of credits to pull from, and I hit as many of those that I could.
The 80-year-old Roundtree (who, trust me, if we can all look as good as Roundtree does right now, at any age really, we’re doing something right) is in Toronto in support of Paul Weitz’s Moving On. Roundtree plays Ralph, the ex-husband of Jane Fonda’s Claire from way back. Ralph had happily remarried and has a family, but is now a widower. And the two rekindle while Claire is in town for a funeral of a friend. Roundtree took the part because, well, he gets to finally work with Jane Fonda. (How these two have never worked together before is a mystery.) And, in his own life, he too had a marriage that didn’t work out (and, too, has remarried and had a family) and, to this day, he doesn’t really know why, but playing Ralph made him revisit these emotions. At first, Roundtree balked at the word “therapeutic,” but then admitted, yes it was therapeutic.
When I met Roundtree in the lobby of a Hyatt hotel he offered to shake hands, something I don’t do much anymore, but, for Richard Roundtree, I made an exception. But then was told, “Man, why are your hands so cold?” Which they were, but I had no good answer and said, “Maybe because I just showered?” but this makes no sense. Anyway, Roundtree in person is just a delightful man and has a million stories. Beyond his current film, we dove into working with Clint Eastwood in City Heat, Rian Johnson’s Brick, David Fincher’s Se7en and much more. Maybe that’s why he didn’t really want to talk about Shaft. He’s got so many stories and he shouldn’t have to keep telling the same one over and over.
How did this come to you? Do you call someone or do they call you?
I mean, I’m getting up there. To be gainfully employed is such a joy, at this point in the game. And when I was told about this script, and I looked at who was involved in it, oh, I’ve got to read this. And I read it. And I was totally taken by the relationship. Singularly, because I have experienced some of this in my own life.
How so?
[Laughs] Oh, you want to go there?
You brought it up but we don’t have to…
Well, my second marriage mirrored some of the things that went on in the script. And the dilemma of coming back to that relationship, and wanting to know why the divorce came about? And the fact that he had basically moved on, but there was always a question in the back of his mind because he was really in love with his wife.
So did you find this role therapeutic?
I don’t know if that’s the term I would use.
That’s fair.
But to look at it again… I guess you can say therapeutic, to a small degree. But the way Jane handled it, and us getting to revisit some of the nicer moments in that relationship, was a joy.
And, correct me if I’m wrong, but you two have not worked together before? Is that right?
This is the first.
That’s remarkable, considering how many people you’ve worked with, and how many people she’s worked with. You’d think she would’ve popped up in Earthquake or something…
[Laughs] Earthquake…
You play Miles Quade.
How…?
I’ve seen your movies.
Paul, the director and writer, said, “I want you two to meet.” And I went down to Venice, California to meet her. And I had never met her before.
You’ve never even crossed paths somewhere?
No. Well, we sat there, and we had a read-through of the script. And prior to the read-through, we were just talking. And talking about our backgrounds, our relationships with our parents, and our spouses at the time. It was very interesting. That way, I got the sense of who she was, and what she was bringing to this character. And I had to look deeper into my background. She told me something very interesting, that we totally related to. The fact that our dads were not that communicative.
Hers famously so.
My dad was very close, verbally. And she shared the same type thing with her dad. So we had a lot of similarities, which I thought was incredible. Those thoughts never crossed my mind when I think of Jane Fonda.
I had lunch with her once for an interview and she is a person who knows exactly what she wants in any situation and will tell you.
[Laughs] You think?
It’s unlike talking to almost anyone else.
The only one that I could even draw proximity would be Peter O’Toole.
I wouldn’t have guessed they have similar personalities.
They don’t, but I’m talking about the openness.
Oh, I see. What were her movies you were watching back in the day that you liked?
Klute.
That’s exactly what I was thinking.
But On Golden Pond. That was, from outside looking in, a devastating movie for her. Yeah, those are the two most that I look at with Jane Fonda.
You two have such good rapport on screen it felt like a reunion.
Yeah, I was drawing on my reality, of my personal experience, in that kind of situation. So when I look at her, I look at pictures of a period in my life that was wonderful. But I couldn’t grasp the flip, that happened so suddenly. So it was very difficult for me to put that out, and I just really had to know what happened.
Right…
Don’t get me wrong. I have remarried and I have grandkids. But I’ve always wanted to know.
So you dismissed me at first when I said “therapeutic,” but it does look like you got some thinking done.
Okay, you’re right.
And I don’t want to get too into details, but is this something that you’re never going to find out? Is it too late?
Too late.
Well, I’m glad you got to do this role then. You got to get some of it out.
Yeah. A lot of it. A lot of it.
I very much remember your Beverly Hills: 90210 episode. You played Robinson Ash.
Oh, wow.
You were Vivica A. Fox’s father, I believe.
Wow. Vivica A. Fox, I played her dad in Generations on CBS. And we worked together a few times. But I vaguely remember 90210.
I remember reading your characters might become a spinoff show, but then nothing happened.
Show business.
You were in City Heat with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. What was that set like?
You know what my takeaway from that film is? I got to see the Clint Eastwood. We were filming up in Riverside, at Boxing Arena. And Richard, Richard…the director, Richard Benjamin.
Oh yeah, star of The Last of Sheila and directed The Money Pit.
Richard was trying to figure out how to set this scene up. And he looked up in the rafters and Clint Eastwood signals to him. And Richard and he went up in the rafters, and they talked about 10 minutes, maybe. And Richard came back down, says, “All right, put the camera there,” boom. That was the classiest thing I’d ever seen.
For Clint to not do it in front of everyone else?
Yes, exactly. He could have come down and said, “You know what you need to do…” Oh, that was class. I’ve never forgotten that.
If he does it in front of everyone else, then everyone else is wondering who’s directing this movie?
I’ve worked with a couple of those directors, whose names I won’t reveal. But working with Clint Eastwood, class.
I hope you know I could sit here and talk to you all day, but I have to be at a screening soon…
What, you’re ending this?
I promise I don’t want to.
No, I’m just messing with you.
I mean, we didn’t even talk about Se7en…
Se7en. I wanted to do that film because I wanted to see what the hell Morgan Freeman was doing. I’m on the set, and I’m watching him, like I’m looking at you. He wasn’t doing shit.
What does that mean? He just can turn it on in a second?
No, no. He is so totally in the moment. And just being. I looked at the film, like holy shit. But up close, in person, and watching that?
Speaking of Clint and Fincher. Now there are two very different directors right there.
Yeah, that’s what I asked Clint. Because I’m very impatient.
So you’re like Clint?
No, Clint is not impatient.
He wants one take. But yeah that’s different than impatient. He just wants to move on.
He asks the DP, “Did you get it? Got it? Moving on.”
The opposite of Fincher.
Oh, yes.
Imagine Clint being in a David Fincher movie.
I can’t.
You were also in Brick, Rian Johnson’s first movie.
I would love to work with him again. That movie is a little secret. I mean, people, “Oh, I loved you in Brick.” What? I get fan mail from people in Germany, Switzerland, and France and whatnot, “Loved you in Brick.”
I mean, that movie is incredible.
Strangest location.
I bet. You can get in one of his Knives Out movies. He’ll be making those for a long time.
Yeah, yeah. Great film.
It’s like doing Earthquake with a big ensemble, only a murder mystery instead of a disaster movie.
Start fresh.
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