Longtime ‘Today’ Personality Passes Away

Eugene “Gene” Shalit, the unmistakable mustachioed film critic who spent four decades on NBC’s “Today” show, has died. He was 100.

Shalit died Friday, his family told NBC News, saying the beloved critic “passed away peacefully after 100 amazing years of his life.”

Known for his bushy hair, bowties, booming personality and ever-present cigar, Shalit became one of television’s most recognizable critics during a career that stretched across movies, books, theater, radio and magazines.

He first joined “Today” as a part-time contributor in 1970 before becoming a full-time fixture in 1973.

Over the next 45 years, Shalit reviewed thousands of films, books and plays, building one of the longest continuous runs in daily network television history.

His look was impossible to miss, but those who worked with him said his wit was the real calling card.

“The ‘TODAY’ show was an extraordinary era for him,” Shalit’s family said in its statement.

Guy Ludwig, who produced Shalit for more than 20 years, remembered him in a 2010 essay published on the “Today” website as a sharp mind who never tried to show off.

Gene Shalit — known for his offbeat humor, puffy hair and handlebar mustache — has died.

For 40 years, Shalit reviewed the best and worst Hollywood had to offer as the movie critic for NBC’s Today Show. pic.twitter.com/xVsFKMOp7a

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 13, 2026

“What resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence,” wrote Guy Ludwig, Shalit’s producer for more than 20 years, in an essay published on the “TODAY” website in 2010.

“But he didn’t pound you over the head with it,” the essay continued.

“He amused you. He enlightened and amused whatever subject he was on.”

Shalit’s “Critics Corner” became known for quick turns of phrase, offbeat expressions and groan-worthy puns that made his reviews feel more like a performance than a lecture.

Between 1969 and 1982, he was also known as the “Man About Anything” on NBC’s radio network.

He frequently appeared as a panelist on classic game shows, including “What’s My Line?” and “To Tell The Truth.”

Shalit was born in New York City and raised in Morristown, New Jersey, where his family owned a drugstore.

His taste for writing started early. He founded his high school newspaper before heading to the University of Illinois.

Shalit later joked that it took him six years to earn a four-year degree.

While in college, he worked as a sports and humor columnist for the Daily Illini, reported for the Champaign-Urbana Courier and served as a stringer for the Associated Press in Chicago.

His career also included work for Look magazine and Ladies’ Home Journal.

He later became an author, publishing “Laughing Matters” in 1987 and “His Great Hollywood Wit” in 2002.

For generations of viewers, Shalit was part of the morning television routine, delivering reviews with a style that could never be confused with anyone else’s.

He leaves behind a century-long legacy of curiosity, humor and a love of the arts that made him one of the most memorable personalities in “Today” show history.

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