How Richard Roundtree Spoke Up About His Breast Cancer Diagnosis Years Before Death (Exclusive)

Richard Roundtree, who died Tuesday at the age of 81 from pancreatic cancer, had many leading roles in his life — but none as important as shining a much-needed spotlight on men with breast cancer, having been diagnosed with the disease in 1993.

Back in 2000, the legendary star of the 1970s film franchise Shaft and TV series Roots opened up to PEOPLE about his treatment for the disease and why men cannot be afraid to speak up about their breast cancer diagnoses.

“I'm not embarrassed,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “Breast cancer is unusual in men, yes, but you have to be a man to get through this — damn right.”

The star — who is survived by his five children from his two marriages — underwent a modified mastectomy that removed his left breast from the nipple to the underarm. He then had six months of chemotherapy which left him so sick he struggled to get out of bed.

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At the same time, Roundtree believed he had to keep his health treatment a secret for fear it would end his film career. However, six years after his treatment and being given the all-clear, he decided it was his responsibility to speak up about men with breast cancer.

While it is often viewed as a women-only issue, around 2,800 American men are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year, with around 530 men dying, according to The American Cancer Society.

“I was in the shower when I found it. It was the end of September 1993. I was lathering up and felt this lump under my left nipple," Roundtree recalled to PEOPLE about first discovering his cancer. "It was a minuscule thing, the size of a lima bean. I wasn’t overly concerned at that point. When I was 13 I had experienced gynecomastia, or breast enlargement due to hormonal imbalance, which is quite common among males. I just chalked it up to that."

“I went to see my physician, Dr.Chalmers Armstrong,” the actor continued.

“About four or five days later he calls me and says, ‘Listen, Richard, will you come in? I need to talk to you.’ And that's when it hit the fan. Doctors don't want you to come in for a talk unless there's something very wrong. I vaguely remember this conversation. I was numb sitting there. Cancer.”

The actor — who won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year in 1972 — added, “I had young kids, a great marriage [at that time the actor was married to Karen Ciernia, with whom he had three children] and a career that was cooking along. Suddenly I'm looking at how quickly this could all end. If I die, what's going to happen to my family?”

“Plus there was the whole idea of me having breast cancer. Testicular cancer, prostate cancer like most guys get — I could understand that. But breast cancer?”

Roundtree continued: “A day or two later I was in the hospital. Dr. Frank Candela performed a modified radical mastectomy, removing the complete breast from the sternum to the underarm, including the nipple and areola. The cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.”

“After the operation I had six months of chemo," continued Roundtree, who also starred with Samuel L. Jackson in 2000 and 2019 Shaft sequels. "That is singularly the most disgusting thing. I lost 18 lbs., but that is not the way to lose weight. The nausea is something you never, ever forget. After the chemo, I was acting in the movie Seven [he played a district attorney alongside Brad Pitt] and I tried to keep everything a secret.”

He added, “It was hard having to lie to keep working. Every film you do, there's a physical. Have you had an operation in the last six months? No, no, no, no. When I had a physical, I'd always keep my undershirt on. I felt bad. But I couldn't be unemployed.” 

“After my last checkup, the doctors said, ‘You don't have to come back in the foreseeable future.’ That felt wonderful. Wonderful. After those years with the cancer hanging over me.”

Discussing his feelings of responsibility surrounding his cancer diagnosis, Roundtree recalled, “For a long time I never talked about the cancer. Nobody ever knew I was even in the hospital. But I tell everyone now. I feel that it's very important that people who are recognizable in the universe, at whatever level, say that they've gone through this and it's okay."

"It makes it easier for others who may be going through the same thing. When I tell other men, the reaction is, ’Really?’ They're shocked. But I'm not embarrassed.”

Roundtree's manager Patrick McMinn confirmed to PEOPLE that the actor died at his home with his family by his bedside on Tuesday.

"His trailblazing career changed the face of entertainment around the globe and his enduring legacy will be felt for generations to come. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time," McMinn said.