1. Early Life and Education
Al Roker's early life in New York City and his academic pursuits laid the foundation for his distinguished career in broadcast journalism.
1.1. Birth and Family
Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. was born on August 20, 1954, in the borough of Queens, New York City. His mother, Isabel, was of Jamaican descent, and his father, Albert Lincoln Roker Sr., was a bus driver of Bahamian descent. Roker was raised Catholic, following his mother's faith.
1.2. Childhood Ambitions
Before embarking on a career in television, Roker harbored an early ambition to become a cartoonist. This creative interest eventually shifted towards broadcast journalism.
1.3. Education
Roker attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, where he graduated. He then pursued higher education at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 1976. During his time at SUNY Oswego, he also worked as a DJ at the campus radio station, WNYO.
2. Career
Al Roker's career journey showcases his evolution from a local weather anchor to a nationally recognized television personality, marked by significant milestones and diverse roles within the media landscape.
2.1. Early Career (1974-1995)
Roker began his professional career as a weather anchor for CBS affiliate WHEN-TV (now WTVH) in Syracuse, New York, a position he held from 1974 to 1976 while still a student at SUNY Oswego. During his time in Oswego, he also DJ'd at the campus radio station, WNYO. After completing his studies, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a weathercaster for the independent station WTTG, then owned by Metromedia, for nearly two years.
His tenure with NBC commenced in 1978 when he was hired by WKYC in Cleveland, which was an NBC owned-and-operated station. After five years in Cleveland, Roker was promoted to WNBC-TV, NBC's flagship station in his hometown of New York City. He returned to New York in late 1983 as a weekend weathercaster and, within eight months, became the station's regular weeknight weathercaster, succeeding the 27-year veteran Dr. Frank Field. From 1983 to 1996, Roker served as the regular substitute for forecaster Joe Witte on the NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise. Between 1990 and 1995, he frequently filled in for Willard Scott, Bryant Gumbel, and later Matt Lauer on the Today Show. In 1995, Roker began hosting The Al Roker Show, a weekend talk show broadcast on CNBC.
Roker's national profile grew significantly when David Letterman invited him to participate in an elevator race on an episode of the talk show Late Night with David Letterman, which was taped across the hall from the WNBC news studio in the GE Building. This appearance led to Roker becoming the forecaster for Weekend Today and also a frequent substitute on the weekday edition of Today.
2.2. Full-time on "Today" (1996-Present)
In early 1996, Willard Scott announced his semi-retirement from Today, and on January 26, 1996, Al Roker officially assumed the role of the regular weekday weather anchor. Roker's distinctive style of conducting remote forecasts from the studio, which involved interviewing visitors outside and giving them camera time, became a popular and enduring segment of the show. Over time, he expanded his role to include more interviews and segments. He also continued the daily tradition of wishing centenarians a happy birthday, a practice initiated by Scott.
In 2005, Roker famously reported from within Hurricane Wilma, during which a widely circulated viral video captured him being swept off his feet by the intense winds, clinging to the cameraman.
Beyond his weather duties, Roker co-hosted the third hour of Today, initially known as Today's Take, from November 12, 2012. This segment was eventually cancelled in February 2017 to make way for Megyn Kelly Today, airing its final episode on September 22, 2017. Following the cancellation of Megyn Kelly Today in 2018, Roker returned to co-host 3rd Hour Today.
During the 2013 inauguration of Barack Obama, Roker notably received a handshake from then-Vice President Joe Biden. Years later, as an NBC News reporter at Biden's own 2021 inauguration, Roker received a fist bump from the newly inaugurated president just before Biden entered the White House. During the first inaugural parade of President Barack Obama, Roker obtained the "first interview" with the new president by waving his fedora hat and yelling to the walking Obama to come over. Acknowledging Roker, the perambulating president continued on, telling him "it's warm!"
2.3. Other Broadcast and Media Work
Roker's media presence extends beyond his primary role on Today to include hosting and appearances across various television and radio platforms.
He has been a consistent host for NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1995, with the exception of 2022 due to health reasons. He is known as the "uptown" host, responsible for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the parade's start and interviewing celebrities observing the parade from 77th Street.
A known fan of game shows, Roker hosted Remember This? on MSNBC from 1996 to 1997. He also served as a substitute host for Meredith Vieira for a week of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire episodes from March 5-9, 2007. In 2008, Roker hosted NBC's Celebrity Family Feud. In July 2016, he presented a week-long feature on Today titled "Game On Today," profiling five game shows and their hosts. He has also appeared as a celebrity contestant on both Merv Griffin game shows, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
Roker has hosted programs on Food Network, including Roker on the Road and Tricked-Out Tailgating, reflecting his passion for barbecue. He also served as an executive producer for the television series D.E.A. from 2008 to 2009.
For several years, Roker provided forecasts for various radio stations, including New York's smooth jazz station WQCD (101.9 FM) and Cleveland's WNWV (107.3 FM), through the "Al Roker Radio Weather Network," distributed by United Stations Radio Networks. This service has since been replaced by Accuweather. Additionally, he hosted Wake Up with Al on The Weather Channel, a one-and-a-half-hour weekday morning show that aired live from 5:00-7:00 a.m. from 2009 until 2015. Roker holds the record for most appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, with over 30, often appearing as a last-minute replacement for canceled guests.
2.4. Special Projects and Campaigns
Roker has undertaken several notable special projects and campaigns, often involving record-breaking feats and charitable initiatives.
In November 2014, Roker embarked on a "Rokerthon," a continuous 34-hour live weather forecast on NBC, which ran from 10:05 p.m. on November 12 to approximately 8:00 a.m. on November 14. This record-setting event served as a fundraiser for the Crowdrise campaign, benefiting the military and USO. He followed this with "Rokerthon 2" from November 6 to November 13, 2015, reporting weather from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to support Feeding America. From March 27 to March 31, 2017, he undertook "Rokerthon 3," visiting colleges and setting a Guinness World Record at each location, including the longest conga line on ice and the largest human letter.
3. Acting and Performance
Beyond his broadcasting career, Al Roker has demonstrated his versatility through various acting and performance roles in theater, film, and television, including significant voice acting contributions.
3.1. Theater and Stage Appearances
On May 22, 2003, Roker made a cameo appearance in The Play What I Wrote on Broadway as the Mystery Guest Star.
He made his official Broadway debut portraying Joe in the musical Waitress for a six-week run from October 5 to November 11, 2018. He later reprised his role in Waitress for a limited engagement from November 1 to 24, 2019. On December 19, 2023, Roker returned to Broadway for a one-night-only cameo as the Producer in Gutenberg! The Musical!. He also appeared as Strickland for one night only in Back to the Future: The Musical on Broadway on March 28, 2024.
3.2. Film and Television Roles
Roker has made numerous appearances as himself or in various roles in film and television.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Another World | Himself | Television series; one episode |
| 1993 | Seinfeld | Himself | Episode: "The Cigar Store Indian" |
| 1994 | Reading Rainbow | Himself | Episode: "Hail to Mail" |
| Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "Pandora's Box" | |
| Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? | Himself | Episode: "Tales You Lose" | |
| 1996 | NewsRadio | Guy | Episode: "President" |
| 1997 | The Single Guy | Dr. Benjamin | Television series; one episode |
| Men in Black | Alien on TV monitor | Uncredited | |
| 1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Weather presenter (voice) | Episode: "Little Girl Lost" |
| 1998 | Quest for Camelot | Knight (voice) | |
| 1998, 2007, 2022 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Television series; three episodes (including a "Please Don't Destroy" sketch in 2022) |
| 1999 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Himself | Episode: "Chambraigne" |
| 2000 | Will & Grace | Himself | Episode: "Acting Out" |
| 2000-2005 | The Daily Show | Himself | Guest |
| 2001 | Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: "Hurricane, Part 1" |
| 2003 | Freedom: A History of Us | Christian reorder editor Henry McNeal Turner | Television miniseries |
| 2003 | Wholey Moses | Weather presenter (voice) | Short film |
| 2003 | Cyberchase | Sam Vander Rom (voice) | Television series; three episodes |
| 2003-2004 | The Proud Family | Faustian Al Roker (voice) | Television series; two episodes |
| 2005 | Robots | Mailbox (voice) | |
| 2005 | Madagascar | Newscaster #3 (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 | The Wiggles' Big Birthday! | Himself | Australian release only |
| 2011 | The Wiggles: Ukulele Baby! | Himself | American and UK releases only |
| 2011 | WordGirl | Sonny Days (voice) | Episode: "Sonny Days with a Chance of Showers" |
| 2011 | The Big Year | New York Weather presenter | |
| 2012 | The Pirates! Band of Misfits! | The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens (voice) | United States release only |
| 2012 | Treme | Himself | Episode: "Promised Land" |
| 2012 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Moonshine River" |
| 2012-2013 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Gil Force (voice) | |
| 2013 | The Michael J. Fox Show | Himself | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2013 | 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 |
| 2015 | Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! | Himself | Television film |
| 2016 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | Dim (voice) | |
| 2016 | Ghostbusters | Himself | Cameo |
| 2016 | Sharknado: The 4th Awakens | Himself | Television film |
| 2017 | WWE WrestleMania 33 | Himself | Pay-Per View, Guest Ring Announcer |
| 2017 | Sharknado 5: Global Swarming | Himself | Television film |
| 2018 | The Last Sharknado: It's About Time | Himself | Television film |
| 2018 | My Brother, My Brother, and Me | Himself | Episode: "Episode 400" |
| 2018-2019 | Morning Show Mysteries | Himself | 2 episodes; Also executive producer 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Zombieland: Double Tap | Himself | |
| 2020 | The Blacklist | Himself | Episode: "Roy Cain" |
| 2021 | Who Are You, Charlie Brown? | Himself | Documentary special |
| 2021 | Martha Gets Down and Dirty | Himself | Episode: "Fire Up the Wieners" |
| 2022 | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | Faustian Al Roker | Episode: "When You Wish Upon a Roker" |
| 2023 | Good Burger 2 | Himself | Cameo |
3.3. Voice Acting
Roker has lent his voice to various animated films and television shows. He voiced a caricature of himself as a faustian figure in two episodes of the animated Disney Channel series The Proud Family, a role he reprised in the Disney+ revival, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Other voice roles include the weather presenter in Superman: The Animated Series (1998), a Knight in Quest for Camelot (1998), the weather presenter in Wholey Moses (2003), Sam Vander Rom in Cyberchase (2003), Mailbox in Robots (2005), Newscaster #3 in Madagascar (2005) and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Patrick Patrickson in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013), Sonny Days in WordGirl (2011), The Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens in The Pirates! Band of Misfits! (2012), himself in The Simpsons (2012), and Gil Force in The Penguins of Madagascar (2012-2013). In 2016, he voiced Dim in Kung Fu Panda 3.
4. Author and Writer
Al Roker is an accomplished author, having published both a series of mystery novels and several non-fiction works that often reflect on his personal life and experiences.
4.1. Novels
Working with co-author Dick Lochte, Roker has penned a series of murder mysteries featuring the character Billy Blessing, a celebrity chef who turns into an amateur detective. The series began in 2009 with The Morning Show Murders. The second book, The Midnight Show Murders (2010), was nominated for a 2011 Nero Award. The series continued with The Talk Show Murders in 2011. The Morning Show Murders was later adapted into a 2018 television movie on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, starring Holly Robinson Peete in the lead role.
4.2. Non-fiction Works
Roker's non-fiction bibliography includes autobiographical reflections and books focused on family wisdom and personal challenges. His 2000 book, Don't Make Me Stop This Car!, offers reflections on fatherhood. In 2013, he published Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good, which chronicles his personal journey with weight management. In 2016, he co-authored Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times with his wife, Deborah Roberts, sharing insights on their marriage and family life.
Additionally, Roker has published works related to his culinary interests, including Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbeque (Paperback) and Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue: More Than 125 Recipes for Family Celebrations All Year Long. He also authored Big Shoes and its hardcover edition, Big Shoes (Hardcover).
5. Personal Life
Al Roker's personal life includes his family, residences, and religious affiliations, as well as various community and personal pursuits.
5.1. Marriages and Children
Roker has been married three times. His first marriage was to his college girlfriend, Mary Puglisi, on their graduation day from SUNY Oswego in 1976. While living in Cleveland, the couple openly discussed their experiences in an interracial marriage. Following their divorce, Roker married WNBC producer Alice Bell in December 1984. He and Bell adopted a daughter, Courtney, as an infant in 1987. Roker and Bell later divorced.
On September 16, 1995, Roker married television journalist Deborah Roberts. They have two children: a daughter, Leila, born on November 17, 1998, and a son, Nicholas, born on July 18, 2002.
5.2. Religion and Residence
Roker is an Episcopalian and attends St. James Episcopal Church in Manhattan. He and his wife reside in a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side and also own a house in the foothills of the Berkshires.
In November 2010, Roker participated in the New York City Marathon. He is an honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. In May 2021, during a report on Cleveland's reopening efforts, WKYC chief meteorologist Betsy Kling announced that the station had named the radar tower atop the WKYC building the "Roker Tower" in his honor, presenting him with a plaque to commemorate the occasion.
6. Health
Al Roker has openly shared his experiences with various health challenges and medical procedures throughout his life, including significant surgeries and his journey with weight management.
6.1. Medical Procedures and Illnesses
In June 2001, Roker underwent a total knee arthroplasty (replacement) on his left knee. He had another knee replacement surgery in 2016. In 2005, he underwent a back operation. In October 2018, Roker had emergency carpal tunnel surgery, and in September 2019, he underwent a hip replacement surgery.
In November 2020, Roker publicly disclosed his diagnosis with prostate cancer in September 2020. He underwent a successful operation on November 9, and by November 17, he was recovering at home. He later stated that it was an aggressive form of prostate cancer but was caught early.
In November 2022, Roker was hospitalized for blood clots in his lungs, leading to his absence from Today. Upon his return to the show on January 6, 2023, he revealed that he had also suffered from internal bleeding, which necessitated surgery, two bleeding ulcers, colon resection surgery (where part or all of the colon is removed), and gallbladder removal surgery. Roker has credited his wife, Deborah Roberts, and the physicians and staff at NewYork-Presbyterian for saving his life during this period.
6.2. Weight Management
Roker has been candid about his long-standing battle with weight. In 2002, after numerous unsuccessful diets, he underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight. Eight months following the procedure, the New York Daily News reported that he had lost 100 lb (100 lb) from his initial weight of 320 lb (320 lb). Roker later documented his experiences and strategies for weight loss in his 2013 book, Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good.
7. Philanthropy and Community Involvement
Al Roker is actively involved in various philanthropic endeavors and community initiatives, serving as a spokesperson and supporter for several organizations.
Since 2007, Roker has been an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, known as the Friends of RMHC. He also served as the official spokesperson for Amtrak's National Train Day, which took place on May 10, 2008.
8. Controversies
Throughout his public career, Al Roker has faced a few public incidents and criticisms, to which he has typically responded with apologies or explanations.
8.1. 2012 Olympic Logo Controversy
On June 7, 2007, Roker made remarks on air regarding the controversial logo for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He stated, "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."
The following day, Roker issued an apology, clarifying his comments: "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."
8.2. Cab Driver Incident
On November 23, 2015, Roker alleged racial discrimination and filed a complaint with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission after he and his son attempted to hail a cab. Roker claimed that the cab driver passed them by to pick up a white customer on the next block. He commented on Twitter, "A cabbie picked up a white guy a block away. Wonder why Uber wins?" Following the complaint, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission indicated that the driver could face a 500 USD fine or a possible license suspension.
9. Broadcasting Style and Signature Phrases
Al Roker is known for his distinctive and engaging on-air persona, characterized by specific mannerisms and recurring phrases that have become signature elements of his broadcasts.
When transitioning from the national weather broadcast to the local affiliate forecast, Roker often says, "That's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods." On many occasions on Today, he has used the phrase "man candy" to describe attractive males. When mentioning Sunday's weather forecast on weekdays, he frequently repeats the word "Sunday," imitating a common drag racing promotional catchphrase. During the ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, he joins the parade producers or the CEO of Macy's and special guests in a countdown, concluding with the phrase, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Let's have a parade!"
10. Awards and Honors
Al Roker has received various accolades and honors throughout his extensive career in media and broadcasting.
His co-authored mystery novel, The Midnight Show Murders (2010), was nominated for a 2011 Nero Award. In 2014, Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Robert Papp named Roker an honorary commodore in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, recognizing his work in producing and narrating a Coast Guard documentary television series. In May 2021, in Cleveland, WKYC honored Roker by naming the radar tower atop their building the "Roker Tower."