Noted film critic Roger Ebert lost his long battle with cancer last week, but his legacy lingers on.
It was less than a week ago when Ebert announced to the world that his cancer had returned and he was planning to take a “leave of presence.” No one imagined that the end would come only 2 days later.
Known for his iconic “2 thumbs up” ratings symbol, Ebert often applied it to his own situation. “When you’d leave him, he’d give you a thumbs up,” said Ebert’s “At The Movies” co-host Richard Roeper. “It was more like a carry on thing. It was business as usual. You wouldn’t walk out of the hospital room feeling depressed. You’d walk out of there thinking I wish I had half the enthusiasm that Roger does.”
“I knew it was not going to get better,” Roeper continued. “I didn’t think (in two days) we were going to lose him. But I feel that once he shared with the world that he was going to step back, maybe he found he had that little bit of closure with his legions of fans and he was able to let go.”
A long time film critic, Ebert was best known for hosting the television show “Siskel and Ebert” with his colleague Gene Siskel, who also passed away from cancer 14 years ago.
Roger Ebert was 70.
