Roger Ebert is the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and the former co-host of the weekly film review shows Siskel and Ebert and Ebert and Roeper He currently blogs and writes film reviews at his website, RogerEbert.com, and is a prolific user of Twitter.

After having a portion of his jaw removed due to complications from thyroid cancer, Ebert lost the ability to speak and has had to rely on writing or the use of computers to communicate. He initially used simple text-to-speech technology, preferring a British computerized voice he had referred to as "Lawrence."http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/roger-eberts-voice-restored-experimental-technology/story?id=9987141

In February of 2010, a Scotland-based company called CereProc fashioned for Ebert a special computerized reconstruction of his old voice using hours of recorded footage from his old TV programs, allowing the critic to "speak" once again. He appeared on Oprah on March 2, 2010, to demonstrate the technology.http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/roger-eberts-voice-restored-experimental-technology/story?id=9987141

Ebert became one of the Sun-Times' film critics in 1967. His friendly rivalry with cross-town critic Gene Siskel became profitable when the two were approached to host a weekly film review show in 1975.

From the late 1970s into the early '80s, the show gained popularity and was syndicated nationwide. During this time, the use of "thumbs" to indicate preference on a film was developed and popularized.

Siskel died in 1999 and the show continued with guest critics until Ebert selected Richard Roeper as the permanent co-host.

The following are the ten films Ebert contributed to the British Film Institute's greatest films list in 2002 (in alphabetical order.):

1. Aguirre, Wrath of God
2. Apocolypse Now
3. Citizen Kane
4. Dekalog
5. La Dolce Vita
6. The General
7. Raging Bull
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
9. Tokyo Story
10. Vertigo