Gene Shalit Dies: Longtime ‘Today’ Show Movie Critic Was 100

Gene Shalit, the longtime film critic for Today, known for his quirky puns and signature walrus mustache, has died. He was 100.

His family tells NBC News in a statement that Shalit passed away peacefully on Friday “after 100 years of an amazing life.”

Shalit began his long career at The Today Show in 1970, where he began part-time and became a contributor three years later.

Known for his frequent use of puns and his comical “absent-minded professor” appearance, which included a handlebar mustache, fuzzy hair, large glasses and colorful bow ties, Shalit became one of the most recognizable faces on television.

During his four-decade tenure at Today as film and book critic, Shalit reviewed thousands of films, many of which were generally positive assessments, which frequently drew criticism from his peers for his lack of rigor, evidenced in parodies by rival film critics such as Siskel & Ebert.

His review of the 1980 horror film The Shining is considered by many to be his most notable. Veering away from the consensus, he panned the film shortly after its release, criticizing it for lacking the depth and scariness expected from a major Stephen King adaptation and failing to live up to its hype.

Shalit announced that he would leave The Today Show after 40 years, effective Nov. 11, 2010. He was quoted at the time as saying “it’s enough already” about his retirement.

Born March 25, 1926 in New York City to parents of Jewish descent, Shalit and his mother briefly moved later that year to Newark, New Jersey, before the family permanently relocated to Morristown, New Jersey, in 1932.

He discovered his passion for writing while attending Morristown High School, where he penned a humor column for the student newspaper, a style which eventually morphed into his pun-heavy, comedic styling that would define his career in later years.

Prior to his long stint on Today, Shalit began writing for print publications in the 1960s, such as Look magazine, a 12-year stint at Ladies’ Home Journal, as well as Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Seventeen, Glamour, McCall’s and The New York Times.

Over the years, Shalit became synonymous with pop culture. He guest-starred as the voice, and was portrayed in the form of a fish food critic named ‘Gene Scallop’ in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode ‘The Krusty Sponge’. He also was parodied in several episodes of Family Guy, including ‘Family Guy Viewer Mail #1’, ‘Brian Sings and Swings’, ‘The Book of Joe’  and ‘Big Man on Hippocampus’, although he was not a voice actor for the series.

Shalit also voiced a character inspired by himself in three episodes of the animated series The Critic. Additionally, he was portrayed several times on Second City Television by cast member Eugene Levy.

Shalit turned 100 on March 25, 2026, a milestone that was commemorated on Today in a special segment, in which Al Roker sent birthday wishes using a personalized Smucker’s jar, a reference to Shalit’s association with the brand through earlier promotions. Shalit was surrounded by his family for the occasion and said he looked forward to watching his favorite baseball team, the New York Mets.