He was the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from until his death in Ebert was known for his intimate, Midwestern writing style and critical views informed by values of populism and humanism.
In , Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times said Ebert "was without question the nation's most prominent and influential film critic," [ 3 ] and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called him "the best-known film critic in America. Not only did he advise moviegoers about what to see, but also how to think about what they saw.
Starting in and continuing for decades, Ebert and Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel helped popularize nationally televised film reviewing when they co-hosted the PBS show Sneak Previews , followed by several variously named At the Movies programs on commercial TV broadcast syndication. The two verbally sparred and traded humorous barbs while discussing films. They created and trademarked the phrase "two thumbs up," used when both gave the same film a positive review.
After Siskel died from a brain tumor in , Ebert continued hosting the show with various co-hosts and then, starting in , with Richard Roeper. In , Ebert began publishing essays on great films of the past; the first hundred were published as The Great Movies. He published two more volumes, and a fourth was published posthumously.
In , Ebert was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands. He required treatment that included removing a section of his lower jaw in , leaving him severely disfigured and unable to speak or eat normally. However, his ability to write remained unimpaired and he continued to publish frequently online and in print until his death in His RogerEbert.
