Actor Richard Roundtree passionate about health education

February 21, 2007 (WLS) -- After Richard Roundtree's battle with breast cancer, the actor -- who helped shape history in Hollywood -- is on a mission to educate other men.

It's the role that made Richard Roundtree famous but after 30 years, he may be growing weary of being called "Shaft."

"This is all love but I am not a one-trick pony. There have been over 77 films," said Richard Roundtree.

That long career is what brought Roundtree to Columbia College recently. He spoke to fans at Chicago's Columbia College about breast cancer awareness recently as part of their "Up Close" lecture series. But, as usual, the first thing all of us wanted to talk about was, of course, that groundbreaking role as the slick detective. Who knew it would become a cinematic icon.

"I was ecstatic just to have a job and to be a lead in a major motion picture. I had no concept of what that meant," said Roundtree.

These days Roundtree is a fixture in films and on television with feature parts in shows such as "Desperate Housewives" among others. But his real passion is health education.

"I am spokesperson for the fact that breast cancer is not gender specific," said Roundtree.

He knows because a few years ago he was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"I was working in Costa Rica when it happened and I thought that's not right. As soon as I got home, my doctor stuck a needle in me and three days later he called me said we need to talk," said Roundtree.

Roundtree himself had a mastectomy and after lots of treatment and therapy, he's now cancer-free. Now, it's his mission to let other men know it could happen to them.

"I was on my way to Vancouver to work and a flight attendant grabbed me and said, 'Mr. Roundtree you saved my husband's life.' saved his life," said Roundtree.

That's why this major star is playing the biggest role of his career  get other men to the doctor.

"We as men will take better car of our cars  don't miss that 3,000 mile oil change. But get us to a doctor that is a monumental task. What's up with that?" said Roundtree.

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