Fast Facts
- Was co-editor of his high-school newspaper.
- Joined the Chicago Sun-Times as a reporter in 1966 and started writing film reviews for the paper a year later.
- Teamed with Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel in 1975 for the weekly review program Sneak Previews, which aired on PBS for more than two decades.
- Became, in 1975, the first recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for film criticism.
- Wrote the screenplay for Russ Meyer's cult-classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls; used pseudonyms for writing Meyer's Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens and Up!
- Founded the annual event Ebertfest, originally titled Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival, in 1999.
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.
- Had his right thumb trademarked.
- Authored more than 20 books.
- Continued to write film reviews after having survived thyroid and salivary-gland cancers and having part of his jaw bone removed; employs text-to-speech software that allows him to converse.
Awards
- 1985, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
- 2008, Directors Guild of America Awards — Honorary Life Member: Winner
- 1992, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
- 1997, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
- 1987, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
- 1994, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
- 1984, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
- 1988, Emmy — Outstanding Informational Series: Nominee
Relationships
- Sonia Hammelsmith — Stepdaughter
- Annabel Ebert — Mother
- Chaz Hammelsmith — Wife
- Walter H. Ebert — Father
College
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, United States (BS, 1964); attended University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; attended University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
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