Roger Ebert

Trivia

• Roger had his right thumb trademarked.
• Roger awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Colorado.
• Roger has a step-daughter, Sonia, and 3 step-grandchildren.
• Roger has written 15 books.
• Roger is a film lecturer at the University of Chicago Fine Arts Program.
• Film critic.
• Member of Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame since 1997.
• Sportswriter at the age of 15.
• Hollywood Radio and Television Society's Co-Man of the Year 1993 (with Gene Siskel).
• Chicago's Erie Way was renamed Siskel & Ebert Way in 1995.

Quotes

• “Oh, here comes Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and Jimmy Smits! [Announcing the arrival of Mel Blanc and Jimmy Smits to the Academy Awards ceremony.]”
• “The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind, because God sure isn't going to change His.”
• “Not only can I not describe the plot of this movie, but I have a feeling the last scene reverses half of what I thought I knew (or didn't know).”
• “The target audience didn't care that we hated those movies because they just expected us to hate them.”
• “I've been told that I am evil. I've been told that I am behind the persecution of millions of Americans. That I have encouraged hate toward gays. I've received both very brief and obscene messages, and very long and literate messages that tell me a vote for Crash was vote for homophobia.”
• “What am I to think when six weekends of this year already have been won by slasher movies that were not screened for critics and got bad ratings on the tomato meter when they were screened?”
• “The reason (Burton) wanted to make 'Ed Wood' is that Ed Wood had so much fun making movies. And that's where Ed Wood and Tim Burton connect. Tim Burton makes films that are a lot better, but he doesn't make them with any more love.”
• “The secret of the movie is that it doesn't strain to draw parallels with current world events - because it doesn't have to.”
• “Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.”
• “The early years were pretty rocky, there were a lot of fights, a lot of disagreements, some edginess, ... Gradually, I think, we came to really enjoy doing this show and really respect the other guy. In recent years there was a great deal of affection and friendship.”