RIP: Gene Shalit, Mussed-Up Movie Critic of the Today Show, Dies at 100.
Gene Shalit, the fun-loving film critic on the Today show known for his oversized mustache, out-of-control mop of black hair and lively use of puns in his movie reviews, died Friday. He was 100.
Shalit, a mainstay on the NBC morning show for four decades until his retirement in November 2010, “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life,” his family said in a statement to NBC News.
Shalit started as a book reviewer on Today in 1970 and went on to replace Joe Garagiola on the desk three years later. Working alongside the likes of Hugh Downs, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Bryant Gumbel, Jane Pauley, Matt Lauer and Katie Couric, Shalit proved to be a spirited counterbalance to the heavier news of the day, entertaining audiences with celebrity interviews and insights into moviegoing choices during his “Critic’s Corner” segment.
Exit quote:
Rest in peace to Gene Shalit, a man whose Kermit the Frog interview went absolutely off the rails in 1984.
Nobody has interviewed a Muppet like this since. pic.twitter.com/WOdlgNcdvD
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) June 12, 2026