Richard Roeper American columnist and film critic. Date of Birth: 17.10.1959 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Journalism and Commentary Career
3. "At the Movies" and Other Television Work
4. Personal Life

Early Life and Education

Richard Roeper was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 17, 1959. He grew up in Dolton, Illinois, and attended Thornridge High School. Roeper graduated from the University of Illinois in 1982.

Journalism and Commentary Career

Roeper began his journalism career as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1987. His columns covered a wide range of topics, from serious political issues to entertainment media. Roeper has authored seven books on topics such as film, urban legends, conspiracy theories, and the Chicago White Sox baseball team.

He has received numerous awards for his journalism, including three Emmy Awards for commentary in the 1990s and the National Headliner Award for Best Columnist in a General Circulation Newspaper in 1992. Roeper's column in The New York Times has been syndicated worldwide, and he has written for many magazines, including Esquire, Spy, TV Guide, Playboy, Maxim, and Entertainment Weekly.

"At the Movies" and Other Television Work

Following the death of film critic Gene Siskel in 1999, Roger Ebert sought a replacement for his co-host on the long-running television show Siskel & Ebert. After guest co-hosting with Roeper on ten occasions, Ebert offered him the permanent role. The show was renamed Ebert & Roeper at the Movies in 2000 and later shortened to Ebert & Roeper in 2002.

After Ebert took a leave of absence in 2006 to recover from cancer surgery, Roeper hosted the show with a variety of guest co-hosts, including comedian Kevin Smith and late-night talk show host Jay Leno. In 2008, Roeper announced his departure from the show to pursue other projects.

Roeper currently continues to write his syndicated general interest column and film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and newspapers nationwide. He also hosts a monthly documentary series on Starz called Starz Inside.

Personal Life

Roeper was once named one of People magazine's "most eligible bachelors." He is often a guest on talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, The O'Reilly Factor, and numerous other national programs.