Al Roker

Al Roker
Roker in October 2014
Born Albert Lincoln Roker Jr.
(1954-08-20) August 20, 1954
Queens, New York, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Journalist for NBC News
  • television personality
  • weather forecaster
  • actor
  • author
Years active 1974–present
Spouse(s)
Children 3
Relatives
Roxie Roker (paternal first cousin, once removed)
Lenny Kravitz (second cousin)
Website AlRoker.com

Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American weather forecaster, journalist, television personality, actor, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's Today.[1] Roker also appears occasionally as a co-anchor on NBC Nightly News. He has an inactive American Meteorological Society Television Seal #238.[2]

On November 12, 2014 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Roker attempted to beat the unofficial world record for an uninterrupted live weather report of 33 hours held by Norwegian weather broadcaster Eli Kari Gjengedal. On November 14, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, Roker set the Guinness World Record by reporting for 34 hours.[3]

Early life

Al Roker was born in Queens, New York,[4] the son of Isabel, of Jamaican descent, and Albert Lincoln Roker Sr.,[5] a bus driver of Bahamian descent.[6] Roker initially wanted to be a cartoonist.[5] He was raised Catholic[5] (in the faith of his mother) and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan.[7] He worked on several projects as a member of the school's Cartooning & Illustration Club. He attended the State University of New York at Oswego where he received a B.A. in communications in 1976.

According to the July 2011 issue of Us Weekly in "25 Things You Did Not Know About Me", Roker is the first cousin once removed of the late actress Roxie Roker, who was most notable for her role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons and the mother of popular rock musician Lenny Kravitz, making Kravitz Roker's second cousin.[8]

Career

Roker outside the Pentagon.

Early career (1974–95)

Roker worked as a weather anchor for CBS affiliate WHEN-TV (now WTVH) in Syracuse, New York from 1974 until 1976, while he was enrolled at SUNY Oswego. Following the completion of his studies, Roker moved to Washington, D.C. and took a weathercasting position at independent station WTTG, then owned by Metromedia, remaining there for much of the next two years.

Roker's career with NBC began in 1978 when he was hired at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, then an NBC owned-and-operated station. After five years in Cleveland, Roker was promoted to the network's flagship outlet, WNBC-TV in his hometown. Roker returned to New York City in late 1983 as a weekend weathercaster, and within eight months became the station's regular weeknight weathercaster. Roker replaced 27-year WNBC-TV veteran Dr. Frank Field, who left the network over a contract dispute. From 1983 to 1996, Roker was the regular substitute for forecaster Joe Witte on the NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise, and from 1990 to 1995, filled in for Willard Scott, Bryant Gumbel and Matt Lauer on the Today Show. In 1995, he became the host of The Al Roker Show,[9] a weekend talk show on CNBC.

Roker received wider exposure when David Letterman asked him to join in an elevator race on an episode of the talk show Late Night with David Letterman, which taped across the hall from the WNBC news studio in the GE Building. This led to Roker becoming the forecaster for Weekend Today.[6] He also substituted on the weekday edition of Today[6] when Willard Scott was ill or away.

Full time on the Today show (1996–present)

In early 1996, Scott announced his semi-retirement from Today. On January 26, 1996, Roker received the regular weekday weather slot. Roker's studio remote forecasts, interviewing visitors outside and giving them some camera time, became a staple. Roker conducted more interviews and segments on the show over time.

In 2005, Roker reported from inside Hurricane Wilma.[10] A popular viral video shows him swept off his feet by the fierce wind and clinging to the cameraman.[10]

In addition to his role as Today Show weather man and anchor, Roker co-hosted the third hour of the Today Show called "Today's Take", beginning November 12, 2012. Today's Take was cancelled in February 2017 and aired its final episode on September 22.

"Roker-thon"

In November 2014, Roker embarked on a "Roker-thon", in which he did a non-stop, 34-hour weather forecast on NBC, from 10:05 p.m. on November 12 until about 8:00 a.m. on November 14. The record-setting event was a fundraiser for the Crowdrise Campaign to benefit the military and USO. He held a "Roker-thon 2", this time reporting weather from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. during the week from November 6 to November 13, 2015, in support of Feeding America.[11][12] From March 27 until March 31, 2017, he embarked on "Roker-thon 3", visiting colleges and setting a Guinness World Record at each one, such as the longest conga line on ice and largest human letter.[13]

Other work

Roker has hosted NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1995, where he provides commentary along with some of his Today Show colleagues.

Roker is a game show fan. From 1996–1997, he hosted a game show on MSNBC called Remember This?.[9] He substituted for Meredith Vieira for a week of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire shows from March 5–9, 2007.[14]

In 2008, Roker hosted NBC's Celebrity Family Feud.[15] He hosted a week-long feature on Today profiling five game shows and their hosts in July 2016 titled "Game On TODAY". He has appeared as a celebrity player on both Merv Griffin game shows Jeopardy![16] and Wheel of Fortune.[16]

Roker has hosted programs on Food Network,[17] namely, Roker on the Road,[17] and Tricked-Out Tailgating. He is also an avid barbecue enthusiast.[15]

Roker provided forecasts for several radio stations, including the New York smooth jazz radio station WQCD (101.9 FM) and for Cleveland smooth jazz station WNWV (107.3 FM), through a service called the "Al Roker Radio Weather Network", distributed by United Stations Radio Networks. It has since been replaced by Accuweather.[18] He also had a one and a half hour weekday morning stint live from 5:00–7:00 a.m. on The Weather Channel under the name Wake Up with Al which aired from 2009 until 2015.

It was announced on September 5, 2018 that Roker will portray Joe in the Broadway musical Waitress for a six-week run from October 5 to November 11.[19]

Author

Roker at the 81st Academy Awards in February 2009

Writing with Dick Lochte, Roker co-authored a series of murder mysteries beginning in 2009 that feature Billy Blessing, a celebrity chef turned amateur detective. The second book in the series, The Midnight Show Murders (2010), was nominated for a 2011 Nero Award.[20] The Morning Show Murders, also published in 2010, was made into the 2018 movie on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries with Holly Robinson Peete in the lead role.

In 2016, the non-fiction book Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times, written by Roker and his wife Deborah Roberts, was published.[21]

Personal life

Roker married WNBC producer Alice Bell in 1984.[22] They divorced in 1994. The following year, he married fellow journalist Deborah Roberts,[23] who has reported for both ABC[23] and NBC.[23] She met Roker when she joined NBC in 1990 as a reporter.

Roker has three children: two daughters, Courtney (born 1987) and Leila (born 1998), and one son, Nicholas Albert (born 2002).

On November 7, 2010, Roker ran in the ING New York City Marathon.

Roker is an Honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Health

Roker with members of the United States Navy, 2000

On Thursday, June 7, 2001, Roker underwent a total knee arthoplasty (replacement, or "TKA") on his left knee.[24]

In 2002,[25] Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, which he said he did after failing at numerous diets. Eight months after the surgery, the New York Daily News reported he had dropped 100 pounds (45 kg) from his 320 lb (150 kg) figure.[26] In 2013, Roker made headlines after he admitted in a nationally televised interview that he had defecated in his pants during a visit to the White House, a side-effect of his gastric bypass surgery.[27] Roker wrote about his battle with weight loss in Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle For Good, published in 2013.[28]

In 2005, he had a back operation.[29] He had another knee replacement surgery in 2016.[30]

Charity work

In 2007, Roker became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.[31] He also served as the official spokesperson for Amtrak's National Train Day, which took place on May 10, 2008.[32]

Controversy

2012 Olympic logo controversy

"Remember that controversial Olympic logo for the 2012 Olympics in London? Some folks have complained that the campaign actually sent them into epileptic seizures. Well, we asked you to weigh in on our website in an informal poll; those of you who could get up off the floor after shaking around were able to actually log in"[33]

— Al Roker, June 7, 2007, describing the reaction to the logo for 2012 Summer Olympics

The following day Roker stated, "I started joking about [the logo]. I want to make this clear—I was not joking about epilepsy or anyone who suffers from epilepsy. We understand and know that this is a serious affliction and would never joke about that. We were joking about the logo—not about epilepsy. If anybody was offended, I heartily and really humbly apologize."[33]

On November 23, 2015, Roker alleged racial discrimination and filed a complaint after he and his son attempted to hail a cab. The cab driver reportedly then passed them in order to pick up a white man on the next block. Roker stated on Twitter that a "cabbie picked up a white guy a block away. Wonder why Uber wins?" According to the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission, the driver would either have to pay a $500 fine or possibly have his license suspended.[34][35][36]

Signature phrases

  • On many occasions on Today he has used the phrase "man candy" to describe attractive males.[37]
  • At the end of the weather segment, when cutting to local broadcasters for regional updates, he says, "That's what's going on around the country. Here's what's happening in your neck of the woods." (Willard Scott's outcue phrase was "Here's what's happening in your world, even as we speak.")
  • When he mentions Sunday's weather forecast on weekdays, often he repeats the word "Sunday", imitating the drag racing promotional catchphrase.[38]
  • During Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ribbon cutting ceremonies, he is joined by the producers of the parade and special guests in kicking off the parade with the countdown "5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Let's have a parade."[39]

Other appearances and activities

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1990 Another World Himself Television series; one episode
1993 Seinfeld Himself Television series; one episode
1994 Reading Rainbow Himself Television series; one episode
1994 Mad About You Himself Television series; one episode
1994 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Himself Television series; one episode
1996 NewsRadio Guy Television series; one episode
1997 The Single Guy Dr. Benjamin Television series; one episode
Men in Black Alien on TV monitor Uncredited
1998 Superman: The Animated Series Weather Forecaster (voice) Television series; one episode
1998 Quest for Camelot Knight (voice)
1998, 2007 Saturday Night Live Himself Television series; two episodes
1999 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Television series; one episode
2000 Will & Grace Himself Television series; one episode
2001 Sesame Street Himself Television series; one episode
2003 Freedom: A History of Us Christian reorder editor
Henry McNeal Turner		 Television miniseries
2003, 2004 The Proud Family Faustian Al Roker (voice) Television series; two episodes
2003 Wholey Moses Weather Forecaster (voice) Short film
Cyberchase Sam Vander Rom (voice) Television series; three episodes
2005 Robots Mailbox (voice)
2006 Unaccompanied Minors Himself
2007, 2012 30 Rock Himself Television series; two episodes
2008 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Newscaster (voice)
2009 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Patrick Patrickson (voice)
2011 WordGirl Sonny Days (voice) Television series; one episode
2011 The Big Year New York Weather Forecaster
2012 The Pirates! Band of Misfits! The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens (voice)
Treme Himself Television series; one episode
The Simpsons Himself (voice) Television series; one episode
2013 The Michael J. Fox Show Himself Television series; one episode
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Patrick Patrickson (voice)
2014 Sharknado 2: The Second One Himself Television film
2015 Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special Himself Television special
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Himself Television film
2016 Kung Fu Panda 3 Dim (voice)
Ghostbusters Himself Cameo
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens Himself Television film
2017 WWE WrestleMania 33 Himself Pay-Per View, Guest Ring Announcer
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming Himself Television film
2018 The Last Sharknado: It's About Time Himself Television film[43]

Works

  • 2000: Don't Make Me Stop This Car! reflections on fatherhood ISBN 9780684868936
  • 2013: Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good ISBN 978-0-451-41493-9
  • 2016: Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times co-written with his wife Deborah Roberts. ISBN 978-0-451-46636-5

Billy Blessing novels

  • 2009: The Morning Show Murders. Co-authored by Dick Lochte. ISBN 0-385-34368-X.
  • 2010: The Midnight Show Murders. Co-authored by Dick Lochte; nominated for the 2011 Nero Award. ISBN 0-385-34369-8.
  • 2011: The Talk Show Murders. Co-authored by Dick Lochte. ISBN 0-385-34370-1.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Al Roker – TODAY.com". Today.msnbc.msn.com. 2010-06-23. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  2. ↑ American Meteorological Society, Brad Lee -. "AMS Television Seal Holders". apps.ametsoc.org. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Watch #Rokerthon live: Al attempts World Record for longest weather report" Retrieved November 13, 2014
  4. ↑ "Al Roker Biography". Biography.com. 1954-08-20. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  5. 1 2 3 "Al Roker Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  6. 1 2 3 "Al Roker Biography (1954–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  7. ↑ Al Roker Biography, The Biography Channel. Accessed November 18, 2007. "After graduating from Xavier High School in Manhattan, Roker studied communications at State University of New York at Oswego, where he got his first shot at weathercasting."
  8. ↑ "Al, Lenny Kravitz discuss being distant cousins". Today. September 2, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Al Roker : Chefs". Food Network. Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  10. 1 2 "Al Roker Blown by Hurricane Wilma". I Am Bored. 2011-05-11. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  11. ↑ "Rokerthon 2 is on! Al Roker hits the road for record-breaking effort". Today. 2015-11-05.
  12. ↑ "Al Roker's 50-state 'Rokerthon 2' begins". New York Daily News. 2015-11-06.
  13. ↑ "Al Roker Comes to UT for Rokerthon 3". WBIR. 2017-03-28.
  14. ↑ Al Roker on IMDb
  15. 1 2 "Celebrity Family Feud &#124". Nbc.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  16. 1 2 "Al Roker to host 'Celebrity Family Feud' - TODAY Entertainment – TODAY.com". Today.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  17. 1 2 "Roker on the Road". Food Network. Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  18. ↑ "Al Roker Radio Weather Network". Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved 2017-02-26. at United Stations Radio Network
  19. ↑ Hoffman, Barbara (5 September 2018). "Al Roker headed back to Broadway with singing role in 'Waitress'". New York Post. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  20. ↑ Cogdill, Oline, "The 2011 Nero Award Nominees"; Mystery Scene, June 15, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  21. ↑ McClurg, Jocelyn (January 5, 2016). "Al Roker, Deborah Roberts write about their marriage". USA Today.
  22. ↑ "Alice Bell is Married". New York Times. December 23, 1984.
  23. 1 2 3 "Deborah Roberts – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  24. ↑ Dwyer, Sheila & Knee1 Staff (July 10, 2001). "Al Roker Returns to "Today"". Knee1.com. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  25. ↑ "The skinny on Roker's weight loss: Gastric bypass". USA Today. November 3, 2002. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  26. ↑ Connor, Tracy (November 17, 2002). "Stars put fat-fighting surgery in the spotlight". Daily News. Daily News. p. 10.
  27. ↑ "Al Roker Pooped His Pants at the White House". People. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  28. ↑ Roker, Al; Morton, Laura (December 31, 2012). Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good. New American Library. ISBN 978-0-451-41493-9.
  29. ↑ Notjustrich.com admin. "How much is Al Roker Worth?". Not Just Rich. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Inside Al Roker's road to recovery after knee replacement". TODAY.com. October 24, 2016. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  31. ↑ "Celebrity Friends of RMHC". McDonald's Corporation. Archived from the original on 2010-06-19.
  32. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  33. 1 2 Starr, Michael (June 9, 2007). "Joker Roker: 'Sorry'". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2007-06-11.
  34. ↑ TMZ Staff (November 23, 2015). "Al Roker – NYC Cab Driver was Racist". TMZ. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  35. ↑ Lawson, Richard (November 23, 2015). "Al Roker Files Complaint Claiming NYC Taxi Ignored Him in Favor of White Customer". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  36. ↑ Kimble, Lindsay (November 23, 2015). "Al Roker Says an N.Y.C. Cab Passed Him to Pick Up a White Man, Files Discrimination Complaint". People. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  37. ↑ Barrett, Liz (October 18, 2006). "Al Roker Sure Loves His "Man Candy"". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
  38. ↑ Raver, Grace; Flanagan, Graham (January 11, 2016). "Why Al Roker says 'Sunday! Sunday!' when giving his weather report". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  39. ↑ "Entire 2016 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". November 24, 2016. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  40. ↑ "Al gets 'first interview' with President Barack Obama". Al Roker blog on MSNBC.com. January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  41. ↑ "Al Roker Trivia and Quotes on". Tv.com. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  42. ↑ "We salute you Al! Roker gets 'Honorary Commodore' award". NBC News. May 19, 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  43. ↑ https://twitter.com/SharknadoSYFY/status/1031360194272522240
  • Official website
  • Al Roker on IMDb
  • Al Roker at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
  • Al Roker Investigates at CourtTV.com
  • Roker's NBC biography
  • Al Roker at Foodnetwork.com
  • "Al Roker chats with Mad Dog & Billie on Toronto's MIX FM". Archived from the original on 2007-01-28.
  • Roker's Favorite Books
  • Al's Book Club for Kids
  • Appearances on C-SPAN


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