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Al Rooker

Albert Lincoln Roker (born August 20, 1954) is an American television broadcaster, best known as the weather anchor for NBC’s Today show. He holds American Meteorological Society Television Seal #238.

 

Personal life

Born in Queens, New York, in 1954, Roker initially wanted to be a cartoonist before he got into television. He was raised Catholic (in the faith of his devoutly Catholic mother) and he graduated from the prestigious Xavier High School in New York City, where he was a member of the Cartooning & Illustration club. He attended the State University of New York at Oswego where he double majored in graphic design and broadcasting/journalism in college. He worked in television around the Cleveland and New York areas before he became a weatherman for WNBC in New York.

Career

Roker started getting more exposure, especially when David Letterman asked him to do an elevator race with him in one episode of his talk show Late Night with David Letterman. That led Roker to getting a job as the weatherman for Weekend Today, where he did the weather for nine years. He also substituted on the weekday edition of Today when Willard Scott was ill or away. In 1996, Scott announced his semi-retirement from the show, and Roker received the weekday weatherman position on Today, where he has been since. He officially joined Today on January 26, 1996. Roker became popular for doing his forecasts outside of the studio, interviewing audience members and giving some of them camera time. Roker also began doing more interviews and segments on the show as time progressed. In 2001, Roker had a knee operation. In 2002, in accordance with his late father’s wish, 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 dropped 100 pounds (45 kg) off his 320-pound figure.[1] In 2005 Roker had a back operation. Since then, he appears to have regained some weight.[2]

His wife is fellow journalist Deborah Roberts, who has done reporting for both ABC and NBC where she met Roker when she first joined the network in 1990 as a reporter. They both worked together on Today from 1990-1995 with Roberts filling in for Faith Daniels, Margaret Larson and Matt Lauer at the Newsdesk and Roker filling in for Willard Scott as the weatherman. Al Roker has three children.

In a report for “The Today Show”, he went to the Bahamas and learned that his family name derived from ‘Thomas Roker’, a regional slaveholder his ancestors were forced to work for.

In 2005, Roker was doing a report from inside Hurricane Wilma. A popular viral video exists on the internet of Roker being swept off his feet by the force of the hurricane and holding on to his cameraman for dear life.[3]

Signature phrases

  • In many occasions on Today he has used the phrase “man candy” to describe attractive males.[4]
  • At the end of his weather segments when they cut to local broadcasters for regional updates he says “That’s what’s happening around the country, here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods.”

Other appearances and activities

  • In the 2002 animated series The Proud Family, he was portrayed as a genie-like man who grants wishes at a horrible price.
  • In 2003, he lent his voice to the intrepid reporter Sam Vander Rom in the math-mystery cartoon Cyberchase on PBS Kids GO!, appearing in three episodes, including “The Wedding Scammer”, which is a send-up of annual wedding on Today.
  • He has starred in the Internet flash game Al Roker and the Escape from the Haunted House (or, for short, Al Roker’s Haunted House).
  • Roker also hosts various programs on The Food Network, namely Roker on the Road and Tricked-Out Tailgating.
  • Roker was also the weatherman 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). The service was called the “Al Roker Radio Weather Network,” it was provided by United Stations Radio Network. He has since been replaced on those networks by John Wetherbee.[5] [6]
  • Al Roker holds the record for most guest appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, with over 30.[7] Roker is considered one of Late Night’s “go to” guys—along with comedian and commentator Al Franken, who has the second most appearances—whenever a scheduled guest cancels.
  • In the 1990s, he was the host of a CNBC show, and, in 1996-1997 hosted a game show on MSNBC called Remember This?.
  • Roker is a huge game show fan, as he hosted a week long segment on “Today” in honor of five game shows and their hosts. He also appeared as a celebrity player on both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!.
  • Famous painter Mike Jennings of Alamo, California, has begun work on a mural to Al Roker in order to express his fan adoration.
  • Al Roker is the basis for the animated series Family Guy‘s character of Ollie Williams, the meteorologist on Quahog 5 News known for his Black-U-Weather Forecast.
  • On May 8, 2007, when going to commercial, Al Roker was heard off camera saying the word Mammy while two women were on screen receiving mud facials for another segment. This was in response to the two women appearing to be in blackface.
  • Was a guest star on the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast in the episode titled “Chambraigne“, where he lauded the merits of shampoo which claimed to increase the user’s intelligence.
  • On the February 28, 1998 episode of Saturday Night Live (hosted by Garth Brooks), Roker appeared in a “Mango” sketch with Matt Lauer. Usually, the sketch follows the fruitless pursuit of Mango by a character (portrayed by the host). In the middle of this particular sketch, Roker appeared as the object of Lauer’s affection. Instead of the famous catch-phrase “Mango, Mango!” Lauer says, “Roker, ROKER!!”
  • For a while after becoming the regular weatherman for Today, Roker returned to WNBC’s show Live at Five with a trivia segment known as “Al’s Tidbit”.
  • In New York City, August 20 (Roker’s birthday) is “Al Roker Day”.
  • Al Roker made an appearance on 30 Rock on April 5, 2007. During the Today Show of that day, the appearance was heavily talked about.

References

  1. ^ Connor, Tracy (November 17, 2002), “Stars put fat-fighting surgery in the spotlight”, New York Daily News: 10
  2. ^ Wii on the Today Show. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
  3. ^ Al Roker blown over. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
  4. ^ Barrett, Liz (October 18, 2006). Al Roker Sure Loves His “Man Candy”. Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.
  5. ^ Al Roker Radio Weather Network at United Stations Radio Network
  6. ^ John Wetherbee Radio Weather Service at United Stations Radio Network
  7. ^ Trivia for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (1993). IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-03-02.

See also

External links