Richard Roeper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Roeper in 2011 | |
| Born | Richard E. Roeper (1959-10-17)October 17, 1959 (age 66) |
| Occupation | Columnist |
| Alma mater | Illinois State University |
| Subject | Film criticism |
| Website | |
| chicago | |
Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959)[1] is an American writer. He is a formercolumnist andfilm critic for theChicago Sun-Times, where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television seriesAt the Movies withRoger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the lateGene Siskel's successor.[2][3] From 2010 to 2014, he co-hostedThe Roe and Roeper Show withRoe Conn on WLS-AM.[4] From October 2015 to October 2017, Roeper served as the host of theFOX 32 morning showGood Day Chicago.[5] Since 2021, he has hosted a podcast entitledThe Richard Roeper Show for American Eagle. He is a regular contributor toWindy City Weekend and its predecessorWindy City Live onWLS-TV. In 2025, Roeper joinedRogerEbert.com as a regular contributor.[6]
Roeper was born inChicago, Illinois, one of four children to Robert and Margaret (née Slobatec) Roeper.[7] He grew up in south suburbanDolton, Illinois and attendedThornridge High School before graduating fromIllinois State University in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. While still a student at the university, he auditioned for the movie review programSneak Previews whenGene Siskel andRoger Ebert (his future co-host onAt the Movies) left the program, for which he was turned down.[8]
Roeper began working as a columnist for theChicago Sun-Times in 1986.[9] The topics of his columns ranged frompolitics tomedia toentertainment. He has been voted the best columnist in Illinois by theAssociated Press on numerous occasions.
He has also written seven books on topics ranging from movies tourban legends toconspiracy theories to theChicago White Sox. In 2009, Roeper appeared onHoward Stern's show and said he had written a book on gambling, entitledBet the House,[10] which was released in the first quarter of 2010.
Roeper was a radio host onWLS AM 890 in Chicago. He also hosted shows onWLUP-FM,WLS-FM, andWMVP-AM in Chicago.In the early 2000s, he was the film critic forCBS in Chicago for three years.
His columns have been syndicated byThe New York Times to worldwide publications. Roeper has written for a number of magazines, includingEsquire,Spy,TV Guide,Playboy,Maxim, andEntertainment Weekly. In 2001, he was named one ofPeople magazine's most eligible bachelors.[11]
Roeper has been a frequent guest onThe Tonight Show,Live with Regis and Kelly,The O'Reilly Factor, and countless other national programs. He also hostedStarz Inside, a monthly documentary series that aired on theStarz network. Roeper appeared on the first episode of the fifth season ofEntourage, where he reviewed a fake movie titledMedellin withMichael Phillips onAt the Movies.[12] In April 2008, Roeper was the central figure on an episode ofTop Chef, where contestants served up movie-themed dishes to Roeper and his friends (includingAisha Tyler).[13]
In February 2009, Roeper launched his website, which features movie reviews, blog entries, photos, andTwitter posts. In December 2009, he launched a video section that featured on-camera reviews of movies.[14] The video segments were originally produced in partnership with the Starz premium cable channel.[14] Roeper announced that the reviews would appear first on his site, then on the Starz channel.[14]
In December 2009, it was reported that Roeper had signed withReelzChannel to be a regular contributor.[15] 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 theJude Law disaster filmBlack Sea.
From April 12, 2010, to October 7, 2014, he co-hostedThe Roe & Roeper Show withRoe Conn on Chicago'sWLS 890 radio station from 2-6 pm CST.[4]
In October 2015, Roeper joined the cast of theFox Chicago morning TV showGood Day Chicago.[16] He signed off from that morning TV show on October 18, 2017.[5] From 2018 until 2021, he was a contributor toWindy City Live and from 2021 onward, a contributor to its predecessor,Windy City Weekend, forWLS-TV.[citation needed]
Roeper was suspended from theSun-Times on January 29, 2018, pending an investigation into allegations that he had purchased Twitter followers.[17] On February 2, theSun-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.[1]
AfterGene Siskel ofSiskel & Ebert died on February 20, 1999,[18][19]Roger Ebert co-hosted the show with nearly 30 guest critics.[20] After ten appearances on the program,[21] Roeper was offered the opportunity to co-host the popular film review show with Ebert permanently.[22] The series was renamedEbert & Roeper and the Movies in 2000.[22] The title was shortened toEbert & Roeper in 2001. Before this, he conducted an interview in 1995 withSiskel and Ebert to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their partnership.[9][23][24]
Beginning in August 2006, while his co-host Roger Ebert was recovering from cancer surgery,[25] Roeper was joined by numerous guest critics, includingClerks directorKevin Smith,The Tonight Show hostJay Leno, and singer-songwriterJohn 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.[26] However, plans for a new program starring Roeper failed to materialize.[27]
Between 2009 and late 2010, Roeper contributed video reviews toStarz.[14] In December 2010, he moved toReelzChannel, where he contributed a segment titledRichard Roeper's Reviews every weekday at 5:00 pm ET.[15] Roeper remained with the network until early 2015. In early 2013, Roeper began contributing film reviews toRogerEbert.com. On September 12, 2013, it was announced that Roeper would replace Roger Ebert as the main movie critic for theChicago Sun-Times after his death on April 4, 2013, at the age of 70.[28] In August 2014, Roeper became first-string film critic for theChicago Sun-Times, where he made his debut reviewingGuardians of the Galaxy.[29] He is a member ofChicago Film Critics Association.[30]
Since 2021, he has hosted a podcast entitledThe Richard Roeper Show (formerlyScreen Time with Roe and Roeper which he hosted with Roe Conn until 2022) for American Eagle, which airs every Tuesday and Thursday.[31]
On March 19, 2025, Roeper revealed that he accepted a buyout from theSun-Times to terminate his employment, ending his time at the newspaper after a 39-year run.[32] Despite this, he is expected to keep reviewing movies on his podcast and forWindy City Weekend onWLS-TV.[33] Roeper's last review for theSun-Times, published on March 20, 2025, was forSnow White.[34]
In 2025, Roeper became a regular contributor toRogerEbert.com.[6]
Roeper has citedThe Maltese Falcon,The Godfather trilogy, andFerris Bueller's Day Off as among his favorite films.[9][35] OnFerris 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 ofFerris Bueller's Day Off."[36] Roeper pays homage to the film with a license plate that says "SVFRRIS".[37]
In a 2000 interview, he citedWoody Allen as a hero of filmmaking.[9] Among his favorite films from the 1990s areGoodfellas,Pulp Fiction,Heat,Good Will Hunting, andNotting Hill.[38] In November 2004, on a special segment ofEbert & Roeper, Roeper stated that his all-time favorite film about Thanksgiving isPlanes, Trains and Automobiles.[citation needed]
Since 2000, Roeper has compiled an annual film list which provides an overview of his critical preferences.[39][40]
| 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 |
| 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" |
In 1992, he was awarded the National Headliner Award as the top newspaper columnist in the country. He won twoChicago / Midwest Emmy Awards for his news commentaries onFox.[5] On April 11, 2020, Roeper was awarded theRoger Ebert Award at the 2020AAFCA Special Achievement Award Luncheon.[59]
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| National | |
| Other | |
