Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (IPA: [i:bɝt]) born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic and screenwriter.
He is known for his weekly review column (appearing in the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, and later online)and for the television program Siskel & Ebert at the Movies, which he co-hosted for 23 years with Gene Siskel. After Siskel's death in 1999, he auditioned several potential replacements, ultimately choosing Richard Roeper to fill the open chair. The program was retitled Ebert & Roeper at the Movies in 2000. Although his name remains in the title, he has not appeared on the show since mid-2006 when he suffered a medical crisis which has left him unable to speak. Roeper continued to host the show through the 2007-2008 TV season with a rotating set of guest critics, with Michael Phillips easily having the most such appearances.
Ebert ended his association with the show in July 2008, after 33 years, after the studio indicated they wished to take the show in a new direction. He still owns the trademark phrase "Two Thumbs Up" along with the widow of Gene Siskel. Roeper had announced his decision to leave the show one day earlier.
Ebert's movie reviews are syndicated to more than 200 newspapers in the United States and abroad. He has written more than 15 books, including his annual movie yearbook. In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. His television programs have also been widely syndicated, and have been nominated for Emmy awards. In February 1995, a section of Chicago's Erie Street near the CBS Studios was given the honorary name Siskel & Ebert Way. Ebert was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2005, the first professional film critic to receive one. Roger Ebert was named as the most influential pundit in America by Forbes Magazine, beating the likes of Bill Maher, Lou Dobbs, and Bill O'Reilly. He has honorary degrees from the University of Colorado, the American Film Institute, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Since 1994, he has written a Great Movies series of individual reviews of what he deems to be the most important films of all time. Since 1999, he has hosted the annual Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival in Champaign, Illinois.

