Richard Roeper

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox writer Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959)<ref name=":0" /> is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's successor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From 2010 to 2014, he co-hosted The Roe and Roeper Show with Roe Conn on WLS-AM.<ref name="Roe & Roeper">Template:Cite web</ref> From October 2015 to October 2017, Roeper served as the host of the FOX 32 morning show Good Day Chicago.<ref name="Roepergoodbye">Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2021, he has hosted a podcast entitled The Richard Roeper Show for American Eagle. He is a regular contributor to Windy City Weekend and its predecessor Windy City Live on WLS-TV. In 2025, Roeper joined RogerEbert.com as a regular contributor.<ref name="RogerEbert.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Roeper was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of four children to Robert and Margaret (née Slobatec) Roeper.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He grew up in south suburban Dolton, Illinois and attended Thornridge High School before graduating from Illinois State University in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. While still a student at the university, he auditioned for the movie review program Sneak Previews when Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert (his future co-host on At the Movies) left the program, for which he was turned down.<ref>Template:Cite podcast</ref>

Career

Roeper began working as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1986.<ref name="Q&A">Template:Cite web</ref> The topics of his columns ranged from politics to media to entertainment. He has been voted the best columnist in Illinois by the Associated Press on numerous occasions.

He has also written seven books on topics ranging from movies to urban legends to conspiracy theories to the Chicago White Sox. In 2009, Roeper appeared on Howard Stern's show and said he had written a book on gambling, entitled Bet the House,<ref name="RRC 1">Template:Cite web</ref> which was released in the first quarter of 2010.

Roeper was a radio host on WLS AM 890 in Chicago. He also hosted shows on WLUP-FM, WLS-FM, and WMVP-AM in Chicago.In the early 2000s, he was the film critic for CBS in Chicago for three years.

His columns have been syndicated by The New York Times to worldwide publications. Roeper has written for a number of magazines, including Esquire, Spy, TV Guide, Playboy, Maxim, and Entertainment Weekly. In 2001, he was named one of People magazine's most eligible bachelors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Roeper has been a frequent guest on The Tonight Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The O'Reilly Factor, and countless other national programs. He also hosted Starz Inside, a monthly documentary series that aired on the Starz network. Roeper appeared on the first episode of the fifth season of Entourage, where he reviewed a fake movie titled Medellin with Michael Phillips on At the Movies.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> In April 2008, Roeper was the central figure on an episode of Top Chef, where contestants served up movie-themed dishes to Roeper and his friends (including Aisha Tyler).<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>

In February 2009, Roeper launched his website, which features movie reviews, blog entries, photos, and Twitter posts. In December 2009, he launched a video section that featured on-camera reviews of movies.<ref name="Gets Richer">Template:Cite web</ref> The video segments were originally produced in partnership with the Starz premium cable channel.<ref name="Gets Richer"/> Roeper announced that the reviews would appear first on his site, then on the Starz channel.<ref name="Gets Richer"/>

In December 2009, it was reported that Roeper had signed with ReelzChannel to be a regular contributor.<ref name=thr>Template:Cite web</ref> Beginning in December 2010, Roeper began producing video reviews for ReelzChannel. He stopped reviewing movies for ReelzChannel in February 2015; his final review was for the Jude Law disaster film Black Sea.

From April 12, 2010, to October 7, 2014, he co-hosted The Roe & Roeper Show with Roe Conn on Chicago's WLS 890 radio station from 2-6 pm CST.<ref name="Roe & Roeper"/>

In October 2015, Roeper joined the cast of the Fox Chicago morning TV show Good Day Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He signed off from that morning TV show on October 18, 2017.<ref name="Roepergoodbye" /> From 2018 until 2021, he was a contributor to Windy City Live and from 2021 onward, a contributor to its predecessor, Windy City Weekend, for WLS-TV.Template:Citation needed

Roeper was suspended from the Sun-Times on January 29, 2018, pending an investigation into allegations that he had purchased Twitter followers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On February 2, the Sun-Times released a statement stating that their investigation did find that Roeper purchased over 25,000 fake followers. The paper later reinstated him, though he was required to begin using a new account on which he was explicitly disallowed from buying followers.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Film critic

Roeper at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival

After Gene Siskel of Siskel & Ebert died on February 20, 1999,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Roger Ebert co-hosted the show with nearly 30 guest critics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After ten appearances on the program,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roeper was offered the opportunity to co-host the popular film review show with Ebert permanently.<ref name="Roger Ebert">Template:Cite news</ref> The series was renamed Ebert & Roeper and the Movies in 2000.<ref name="Roger Ebert"/> The title was shortened to Ebert & Roeper in 2001. Before this, he conducted an interview in 1995 with Siskel and Ebert to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their partnership.<ref name="Q&A"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Beginning in August 2006, while his co-host Roger Ebert was recovering from cancer surgery,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roeper was joined by numerous guest critics, including Clerks director Kevin Smith, The Tonight Show host Jay Leno, and singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. On Sunday, July 20, 2008, Roeper announced that he was leaving the show in mid-August and would return with a new show later in the year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, plans for a new program starring Roeper failed to materialize.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Between 2009 and late 2010, Roeper contributed video reviews to Starz.<ref name="Gets Richer"/> In December 2010, he moved to ReelzChannel, where he contributed a segment titled Richard Roeper's Reviews every weekday at 5:00 pm ET.<ref name="thr"/> Roeper remained with the network until early 2015. In early 2013, Roeper began contributing film reviews to RogerEbert.com. On September 12, 2013, it was announced that Roeper would replace Roger Ebert as the main movie critic for the Chicago Sun-Times after his death on April 4, 2013, at the age of 70.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2014, Roeper became first-string film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he made his debut reviewing Guardians of the Galaxy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is a member of Chicago Film Critics Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since 2021, he has hosted a podcast entitled The Richard Roeper Show (formerly Screen Time with Roe and Roeper which he hosted with Roe Conn until 2022) for American Eagle, which airs every Tuesday and Thursday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On March 19, 2025, Roeper revealed that he accepted a buyout from the Sun-Times to terminate his employment, ending his time at the newspaper after a 39-year run.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite this, he is expected to keep reviewing movies on his podcast and for Windy City Weekend on WLS-TV.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roeper's last review for the Sun-Times, published on March 20, 2025, was for Snow White.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2025, Roeper became a regular contributor to RogerEbert.com.<ref name="RogerEbert.com"/>

Preferences

Favorites

Roeper has cited The Maltese Falcon, The Godfather trilogy, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off as among his favorite films.<ref name="Q&A"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On Ferris Bueller's Day Off he stated that, "It has one of the highest 'repeatability' factors of any film I've ever seen...I can watch it again and again. There's also this, and I say in all sincerity: Ferris Bueller's Day Off is something of a suicide prevention film or, at the very least, a story about a young man trying to help his friend gain some measure of self-worth...Ferris has made it his mission to show Cameron that the whole world in front of him is passing him by and that life can be pretty sweet if you wake up and embrace it. That's the lasting message of Ferris Bueller's Day Off."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roeper pays homage to the film with a license plate that says "SVFRRIS".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In a 2000 interview, he cited Woody Allen as a hero of filmmaking.<ref name="Q&A"/> Among his favorite films from the 1990s are Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Heat, Good Will Hunting, and Notting Hill.<ref>Best 90s movies | Chicago film critic Richard Roeper picks 5 decade-defining films</ref> In November 2004, on a special segment of Ebert & Roeper, Roeper stated that his all-time favorite film about Thanksgiving is Planes, Trains and Automobiles.Template:Citation needed

Best films of the year

Since 2000, Roeper has compiled an annual film list which provides an overview of his critical preferences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

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Work

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Sex at 24 Frames Per Second Interviewee
2004 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops Himself
101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments Himself
Retrosexual: The 80's Himself
Non-Denominational All-Star Celebrity Holiday Special Himself
2006 Supertwink Himself Uncredited
2006 Independent Spirit Awards Audience Member
2007 Heckler Himself
2008 An Evening at the Academy Awards Co-Host
2009 This Is Our Moment: Election Night 2008 Commentator
Don't You Forget About Me Himself
Clarkworld Himself
2013 The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy Himself
2014 Madzilla! Himself
2018 The Bachelor Party: The Bachelor Parody - The Playboy's Impossible Mission Himself
2020 Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies Himself
2023 Tom Cruise: The Last Movie Star Himself

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2000-2008 At the Movies Host/Guest Host 413 episodes
2000; 2006 Chicago Tonight Himself 2 episodes
2000 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Guest Episode: "Roger Ebert & Richard Roeper/Bernie Mac/Tara MacLean"
Charlie Rose Guest 1 episode
2001-2013 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Guest 23 episodes
2001 The Daily Show Himself 1 episode
2003-2008 E! True Hollywood Story Himself 4 episodes
2004 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Himself 1 episode
2005 Dennis Miller Himself 1 episode
The Factor Himself 1 episode
The Tony Danza Show Himself 3 episodes
2006 The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... Himself Episode: "Bob Knight for his repeated outbursts"
Howard Stern On Demand Judge Episode: "The Howard Stern Film Festival"
2007-2008 Live with Regis and Kelly Himself 2 episodes
2008 Top Chef Guest Judge Episode: "Film Food"
Entourage Himself Episode: "Fantasy Island"
2009-2010 Richard Roeper & the Movies Himself 85 episodes
2009 The Hour Himself 1 episode
The Jay Leno Show Himself 1 episode
2010-2011 ReelzChannel Spotlight Host 5 episodes
Hollywood's Top Ten Reelz Channel Movie Reviewer 9 episodes
2010 Richard Roeper's Reviews Himself 5 episodes
Prime 9 Himself 2 episodes
2011-2013 ReelzChannel Specials Himself 3 episodes
2015-2017 Poker Night in America Himself 17 episodes
2015-2018 Roeper's Reviews Himself 162 episodes
2016 The Timeline Himself Episode: "The Fog Bowl"

Bibliography

  • He Rents, She Rents: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Women's Films and Guy Movies, with Laurie Viera (1999)
  • Hollywood Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Delightfully Persistent Myths of Films, Television, and Music (2001)
  • Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Deliciously Entertaining Myths That Are Absolutely, Positively, 100% Not True (2001)
  • Ten Sure Signs a Movie Character Is Doomed, and Other Surprising Movie Lists (2003)
  • Schlock Value: Hollywood At Its Worst (2005)
  • Sox and the City: A Fan's Love Affair with the White Sox from the Heartbreak of '67 to the Wizards of Oz (2006)
  • Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century (2008)
  • Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance (2010)<ref name="RRC 1"/>

Accolades

In 1992, he was awarded the National Headliner Award as the top newspaper columnist in the country. He won two Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards for his news commentaries on Fox.<ref name="Roepergoodbye"/> On April 11, 2020, Roeper was awarded the Roger Ebert Award at the 2020 AAFCA Special Achievement Award Luncheon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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