Al Roker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Roker
Roker in 2022
Born	Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (1954-08-20) August 20, 1954 (age 70) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	State University of New York at Oswego (BA)
Occupation	Journalist television personality weather presenter actor author
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Mary Puglisi ​ ​ (m. 1976, divorced)​ Alice Bell ​ ​ (m. 1984, divorced)​ Deborah Roberts ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	3
Relatives	Roxie Roker (paternal first cousin, once removed) Lenny Kravitz (paternal second cousin) Zoë Kravitz (paternal second cousin, once removed)

Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954), known as Al Roker, is a famous American weather presenter, journalist, and TV personality. He is best known as the weather anchor for NBC's popular morning show, Today. He also sometimes helps host the 3rd Hour Today segment.

Al Roker's Early Life and Education

Al Roker was born in Queens, a part of New York City. His mother was from Jamaica, and his father, a bus driver, was from the Bahamas. Al grew up in the Catholic faith.

He went to Xavier High School in Manhattan. After high school, he studied communications at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1976.

Al Roker's Career Journey

Al Roker outside the Pentagon in 2009

Starting Out in Weather (1974–1995)

Al Roker began his career as a weather anchor in 1974. He worked for WHEN-TV in Syracuse, New York, while still a student at SUNY Oswego. He also worked as a DJ at his college radio station, WNYO.

After college, Al moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued weathercasting at WTTG. His journey with NBC began in 1978 at WKYC in Cleveland. After five years, he moved to WNBC-TV in his hometown of New York City. By 1983, he became the main weeknight weathercaster for the station.

Al also filled in for other forecasters on NBC News programs. From 1990 to 1995, he often substituted for Willard Scott on the Today Show. In 1995, he hosted his own weekend talk show on CNBC, called The Al Roker Show.

Becoming a Today Show Star (1996–Present)

In early 1996, Willard Scott decided to semi-retire from the Today show. On January 26, 1996, Al Roker officially became the regular weekday weather anchor. He became famous for his outdoor forecasts, where he would interview people and give them a chance to be on TV.

Over time, Al took on more roles, doing interviews and other segments. He also continued the tradition of wishing happy birthdays to people who were 100 years old or more.

In 2005, Al Roker reported from inside Hurricane Wilma. A famous video shows him being swept off his feet by the strong winds, holding onto his cameraman.

From 2012 to 2017, Al co-hosted the third hour of Today, called Today's Take. After a brief change, he returned to co-host 3rd Hour Today in 2018.

Al Roker has also done special "Rokerthon" events. In November 2014, he did a non-stop, 34-hour weather forecast to raise money for military charities. In 2015, he reported weather from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to support Feeding America. In 2017, he visited colleges, setting Guinness World Records at each stop.

Other Exciting Work

Al Roker has hosted NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1995. He is known for cutting the ribbon at the start of the parade and interviewing celebrities. He missed hosting the parade in 2022 due to health reasons.

Al is a big fan of game shows. He hosted a game show called Remember This? on MSNBC from 1996 to 1997. He also filled in as host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for a week in 2007. In 2008, he hosted NBC's Celebrity Family Feud. He has also appeared as a celebrity player on Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

Al Roker has hosted shows on Food Network, like Roker on the Road. He is also very enthusiastic about barbecue. He hosted Wake Up with Al on The Weather Channel from 2009 to 2015.

Al Roker on Broadway

Al Roker has even appeared on Broadway! In 2003, he made a special guest appearance in The Play What I Wrote.

In 2018, he made his official Broadway debut playing Joe in the musical Waitress. He returned to the show for another limited run in 2019. More recently, in December 2023, he had a one-night cameo in Gutenberg! The Musical!. In March 2024, he was in Back to the Future: The Musical on Broadway.

Al Roker as an Author

Al Roker at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009

Al Roker has written several books. With Dick Lochte, he co-authored a series of mystery novels starting in 2009. These books feature a celebrity chef who becomes a detective. One of these books, The Morning Show Murders, was made into a movie in 2018.

In 2016, he co-wrote a non-fiction book with his wife, Deborah Roberts, called Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times.

Al Roker's Personal Life

Al Roker has been married three times. He married his college girlfriend, Mary Puglisi, in 1976. After their divorce, he married Alice Bell in 1984, and they adopted a daughter named Courtney. They later divorced.

In 1995, Al Roker married TV journalist Deborah Roberts. They have two children, a daughter named Leila (born 1998) and a son named Nicholas (born 2002). The family lives in New York City. Al Roker is an Episcopalian.

In November 2010, Al Roker ran in the New York City Marathon. In May 2021, a radar tower in Cleveland was named the "Roker Tower" in his honor.

Al Roker's Health Journey

Al Roker has been open about his health. In 2001, he had knee replacement surgery. In 2002, he had gastric bypass surgery to help him lose weight. He wrote about his weight loss journey in his 2013 book, Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight Loss Battle For Good.

Al Roker with members of the United States Navy in 2000

He had another knee replacement in 2016 and hip replacement surgery in 2019. In November 2020, he shared that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had successful surgery.

In November 2022, Al Roker was hospitalized for blood clots in his lungs. He returned to the Today show in January 2023, sharing that he also had internal bleeding, two bleeding ulcers, and surgeries to remove part of his colon and his gallbladder. He thanked his wife and doctors for saving his life.

Al Roker's Charity Work

Al Roker is a supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities. He is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC. He also served as the official spokesperson for Amtrak's National Train Day in 2008.

Al Roker's Famous Phrases

• When switching from national to local weather, Al often says: "That's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods."
• During the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ribbon-cutting, he joins others in counting down: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Let's have a parade!"

Other Appearances and Fun Activities

• In 1993, Al Roker appeared as himself in an episode of Seinfeld.
• He voiced a cartoon version of himself in the animated Disney Channel series The Proud Family.
• Al Roker has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien many times, holding the record for most appearances.
• He had a cameo appearance in the movie Sharknado 2: The Second One in 2014. He also appeared in its sequels: Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015), Sharknado: The 4th Awakens (2016), Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017), and The Last Sharknado: It's About Time (2018).
• In 2017, Al Roker was the guest ring announcer at WrestleMania 33.
• In 2014, he was named an honorary commodore in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for producing a documentary series about them.
• He appeared in the Hallmark TV movies Morning Show Mysteries: Mortal Mishaps (2018) and Morning Show Mysteries: Death by Design (2019), based on the books he co-authored.
• In 2022, Al Roker made a cameo in a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Al Roker's Film and TV Roles

Al Roker's Books

• 2000: Don't Make Me Stop This Car! (reflections on fatherhood) ISBN: 9780684868936
• 2013: Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good ISBN: 978-0-451-41493-9
• 2016: Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times (co-written with his wife Deborah Roberts) ISBN: 978-0-451-46636-5

Billy Blessing Mystery Novels

• 2009: The Morning Show Murders. Co-authored by Dick Lochte. ISBN: 0-385-34368-X.
• 2010: The Midnight Show Murders. Co-authored by Dick Lochte; nominated for the 2011 Nero Award. ISBN: 0-385-34369-8.
• 2011: The Talk Show Murders. Co-authored by Dick Lochte. ISBN: 0-385-34370-1.

See also

In Spanish: Al Roker para niños