‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Blast Contestants for Not Knowing ‘Shaft’ Star Richard Roundtree

Martin Holmes March 28, 2025, 7:28 am

Ken Jennings and Richard Roundtree — Jeopardy YouTube!; Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Jeopardy! viewers were left open-mouthed during Wednesday’s (March 26) episode after all three contestants failed to recognize the actor behind one of film and television’s most famous detectives.

The episode saw returning champion Josh Weikert, a politics professor from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, taking on John Rindone, a policy advisor from Brooklyn, New York, and Melanie Hirsch, a lawyer from Silver Spring, Maryland. It was a hard-fought game, except for one clue that stumped all three players.

Under the category “Be My TV Show Guest,” host Ken Jennings asked the contestants, “This star of the O.G. ‘Shaft’ guest starred as two different characters on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.'”

All three players looked dumbfounded as none of them were able to come up with the answer, Richard Roundtree, the Golden Globe nominated actor who portrayed private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and four of its sequels, as well as the eponymous television series from 1973 to 1974.

“I am deeply saddened about the original Shaft Triple Stumper,” wrote one fan on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum.

“You could say he was Shafted,” quipped another.

Courtesy of Everett Collection

“Meanwhile, these idiots don’t know who Shaft is? Shut yo mouth! #Jeopardy,” said one viewer on X.

Another added, “They didn’t know Richard Roundtree?!”

“Richard Roundtree! I think we’re all screaming!” said another.

On Reddit user admitted, “I went with Isaac Hayes. So close.”

“Understandable mistake, as he wrote, recorded, and received an Oscar for the score to the movie, including the indelible “Theme From Shaft.” He’s forever linked with the movie, even if he wasn’t in it,” replied another commenter.

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Roundtree, who passed away in 2023 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, appeared in Will Smith‘s hit 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as two different characters, Dr. Mumford and Rev. Gordon Sims.

He also appeared in several other TV shows, including Roots, Generations, Roc, 413 Hope St., Rescue 77, Desperate Housewives, Being Mary Jane, Chicago Fire, Family Reunion, and Cherish the Day.