Shalit contributed to the “Today” show from 1970 to 2010.

Gene Shalit, Today show movie critic, dies at 100

Shalit contributed to the "Today" show from 1970 to 2010.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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June 12, 2026 7:52 p.m. ET

Gene Shalit on 'Today' in 1973. Credit:

NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty

- Gene Shalit died at 100 on Friday, his family told NBC News.

- The longtime *Today* show movie critic "passed away peacefully," according to a statement from his family.

- Shalit worked on *Today* from 1970 to 2010 after starting his career as a print journalist.

Gene Shalit, the longtime movie critic for the *Today* show, has died.

The TV personality's family confirmed that he died on Friday at age 100, according to NBC News. The family told the outlet that Shalit "passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life," adding that "the *Today* show was an extraordinary era for him." A cause of death was not provided.

Shalit made his debut on *Today* in 1970 as a part-time contributor, and became a regular on the show in 1973. He served as the program's film and book critic until 2010, and also interviewed a variety of actors and filmmakers during his time on the show.

Gene Shalit on 'Today' in 1982.

NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty

Shalit began as a print journalist, serving as a critic for *Look* and penning the "What's Happening?" page for *Ladies Home Journal*. He also had bylines in *The New York Times*, *TV Guide*, *Glamour*, *Cosmopolitan*, and *Seventeen*. Shalit also broadcast a daily radio essay *Man About Anything* on NBC Radio Network from 1969 to 1982.

Known for his massive black mustache and colorful bowties, Shalit's distinct appearance made him something of a cultural icon who remained easily identifiable even as he was abstracted into parody. He played a fish version of himself called Gene Scallop in an episode of *SpongeBob Squarepants*, and voiced an animated version of himself on *The Critic* as well. John Lovitz portrayed him on *Saturday Night Live*, a Muppet iteration of him appeared on *The Muppet Show*, and *Family Guy** *poked fun at him on several occasions.

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Born in 1926 in New York City, Shalit graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1949. He worked as a reporter for a daily newspaper in Minnesota and freelanced as a sports journalist for the Associated Press in Chicago. He also worked as the press agent for Dick Clark, but stopped representing the TV host when the government investigated accusations of payola.

Gene Shalit in New York City on June 15, 1977.

Darleen Rubin/WWD/Penske Media via Getty

Shalit's work in print journalism led directly to his hiring on the *Today* show. "An executive here at NBC happened to read one of his columns and called up the *Ladies' Home Journal* and said, 'Mr. Shalit, do you talk anything like the way you write?'" his producer, Guy Ludwig, recalled in a 2010 interview. "And Gene said, 'Well, I think so.' He goes, 'Well, come on down here. We want to talk to you about broadcasting.'"

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Shalit was married Nancy Lewis from 1950 until her death in 1978. They shared six children together.

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