Roker, Al 1954–

(Albert L. Roker)

PERSONAL

Full name, Albert Lincoln Roker, Jr.; born August 20,1954, in Queens, NY; son of Albert Lincoln, Sr. (a busdriver, dispatcher, and labor relations negotiator) and Isabel Roker; cousin of Roxie Roker (an actress); married second wife, Alice Bell, December 22, 1984(divorced, 1994); married third wife, Deborah Roberts(a news correspondent), September 16, 1995; children:(second marriage) Courtney; (third marriage) Nicholas Albert, Leila Ruth. Education: State University of New York College at Oswego, B.A., communications, 1976.

Addresses: Office— Al Roker Entertainment, 250 West57th St., Suite 1525, New York, NY 10019; NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1420, New York, NY 10112–0002. Agent— William Morris Agency, 1325Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Publicist— Rubenstein Associates, 1345 Avenue of theAmericas, New York, NY 10105.

Career: Broadcast weather reporter. WTVH–TV, Syracuse, NY, weekend weather anchor and graphic artist, 1974–75, weekly weather anchor, 1975–76; WTTG– TV, Washington, DC, weather reporter, 1976–78; WKYC–TV, Cleveland, OH, weather reporter, 1978–83; WNBC–TV, New York City, weather reporter, beginning 1983. Al Roker Productions, Inc. (multimedia company), founder, 1994, president, 1996—; Roker Ware, Inc. (merchandiser), founder, president, and merchandise designer, 1996—; celebrity spokesperson for Budget Rent a Car, 1999, and Vicks cold remedy, 2000; appeared in television commercials, including Lipton's Brisk iced tea, 2002; public speaker. Susan K. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, honorary chair of Race for the Cure/Three Miles of Men, 1997—; Guiding Eyes for the Blind, member of Honorary Celebrity Committee, 1998; Greenwich House, honorary chair, 1998–99; Family AIDS Network, member of board of directors;supporter of civic activities, including the work of Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Children's Defense Fund, Fresh Air Fund, Harlem Boys' Choir,Incarnation Children's Center, Interfaith Medical Center, Rainforest Alliance, Read Across America, Ronald McDonald House, and Samaritan Foundation.

Member: American Meteorological Society, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild, Friars Club.

Awards, Honors: Seal of Approval, American Meteorological Society, 1980; Cleveland Area Emmy Award, best host, 1981; New York Area Emmy Award, best on–air talent, 1984; named best weather man, New York, 1985 and 1993; New York Area Emmy Award, best on–air host, 1989; Distinguished Leadership Award, Fair-field University Alumni Association, 1994; Daytime Emmy Award nomination, outstanding game show host, 1997, for Remember This?; Distinguished Alumnus Award, State University of New College at Oswego,1997; Special Emmy Award, outstanding community service, 1997; Daytime Emmy Awards (with others),outstanding special class program, 1997, 1998, 1999,2000, 2004, Daytime Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding special class special, 2003, 2005,2006, 2007, 2008, all for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; Daytime Emmy Award (with others), excellence in morning programming, 2007, for Today; honorary D.H.L., State University of New York College at Oswego, 1998; named America's favorite weather reporter, National Science Foundation, 1998; New York Area News Emmy Award, on–camera achievement in programming, 2000, for NY TV: By the People Who Made It; Doctor of Humane Letters, New York College of Health Professionals, 2006.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Quest for Camelot, 1998.

Himself, My Generation, 2000.

Himself (New York premiere), Breaking the Silence: The Making of "Hannibal," 2001.

Voice of the weatherman, Wholey Moses (short), 2003.

Himself, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien": The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (also known as The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog), Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment, 2004.

Voice of Mailbox, Robots (animated), Twentieth Century–Fox, 2005.

Himself, "Sesame Street": Friends to the Rescue, Genius Products, 2005.

Himself, There and Back Again (documentary short),2006.

Himself, Unaccompanied Minors (also known as Grounded), Warner Bros., 2006.

Television Appearances; Series:

Weekend weather reporter, Live at 5, WNBC (New York City), 1983–84.

Weekday weather reporter, Live at 5, WNBC, 1984–96.

Weather reporter, Weekend Today, NBC, 1987–96.

Substitute weather reporter, Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 1988–95.

Host, Al Roker (talk show), CNBC, 1993–96.

Weather reporter, Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 1995—.

Weather reporter, Live at 5, WNBC, 1996–2000.

Feature reporter, Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 1996—.

Host, Remember This? (quiz show), MSNBC, 1996–97.

Host, Going Places, PBS, 1997.

Roker on the Road, Food Network, 2003.

Correspondent, Dateline NBC, NBC, 2004–2006.

Host, Celebrity Family Feud, NBC, 2008.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Christmas at Rockefeller Center, NBC, annually, 1985—.

A Pavarotti Prelude, PBS, 1993.

Talk Back America II, CNBC, 1994.

MicroAge Fiesta Bowl Parade, NBC, 1994.

Host, Countdown to Christmas, NBC, 1994.

Calculating Change, PBS, 1994.

Host, Talk Back America III, CNBC, 1995.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, annually, 1995—.

Narrator, Savage Skies (documentary), PBS, 1996.

Host, National Spelling Bee Championship Finals, CNBC, 1996.

Host, Tournament of Roses Parade, 1996.

Host, The Sixth Annual James Beard Awards, Food Network, 1996.

Host, The 69th Annual Spelling Bee Finals, CNBC, 1996.

Presenter, The 24th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, ABC, 1997.

NY TV: By the People Who Made It, 1998.

Host, Al Roker's World Championship Barbecue, Food Network, 1999.

The Great American History Quiz, History Channel, 1999.

Host, Broadway on Broadway, 2000.

Al Roker's Bahamas Reunion, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Dining on the Strip, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Midwest Fest, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Colonial Christmas, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Around the World in New York City, Food Network, 2001.

Al Roker's Tailgating Party, 2001.

Presenter, The 28th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, NBC, 2001.

Host, The 112th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade, NBC, 2001.

Host, Mine Over Media: Voices from the Middle School, Court TV, 2001.

Host, Al Roker Investigates, Court TV, 2003.

The Nick at Nite Holiday Special, Nickelodeon, 2003.

The 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, NBC, 2004.

Assembling "Robots": The Magic, the Music & the Comedy, Fox, 2005.

Greatest American, The Discovery Channel, 2005.

Host, Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, NBC, 2005.

Tricked Out Tailgating, 2005.

Al Roker's Christmas in New York, Food Network, 2005.

Cast host, The 2nd Annual Quill Awards, NBC, 2006.

The 49th Annual New York Emmy Awards, 2006.

Tribeca Film Festival Presents: Live from the Red Carpet, NBC, 2006.

Legends Ball, ABC, 2006.

Broadcasting & Cable Magazine's 16th Annual Hall of Fame Awards, 2006.

Rachael Ray: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2007.

Host, The Quill Awards 2007, NBC, 2007.

Also appeared in What It's Like to Be Al, MTV.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1986, 1993.

The Howard Stern Show (also known as The Howard Stern Summer Show), 1990.

Himself, Another World, NBC, 1990.

Himself, "The Cigar Store Indian," Seinfeld, NBC, 1993.

Himself, "Pandora's Box," Mad About You, NBC, 1994.

Voice of himself, "Hail to Mail," Reading Rainbow, 1994.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007,2008.

(As Albert L. Roker) Guy, "President," News Radio (also known as The Station), NBC, 1996.

Dr. Benjamin, "New Year," The Single Guy, NBC, 1997.

Late Show with David Letterman (also known as Letterman, and The Late Show), CBS, 1997, 2004.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.

Voice of weather man, "Little Girl Lost: Part 1," Super-man (animated; also known as Superman: The Animated Series), The WB, 1998.

(Uncredited) Himself, Saturday Night Live (also known as SNL), NBC, 1998, 2007.

Guest, Hollywood Squares (also known as H2 and H2: Hollywood Squares), syndicated, 1998, 2000, 2001.

"Chambraigne," Space Ghost Coast to Coast (animated),Cartoon Network, 1999.

Himself, "Acting Out," Will & Grace, NBC, 2000.

Sesame Street, PBS, 2001.

"Hurricane: Part 1," Sesame Street (also known as Open Sesame, Sesame Street Unpaved, and The New Sesame Street), PBS, 2001.

Bill Stanton Project, FX Channel, 2003.

Voice of himself, "Tween Town," The Proud Family (animated), The Disney Channel, 2003.

Voice of himself, "Twins to Tweens," The Proud Family (animated), The Disney Channel, 2003.

Henry McNeal Turner, "What Is Freedom?," Freedom: A History of Us, PBS, 2003.

Christian redorder editor, "A War to End Slavery," Freedom: A History of Us, PBS, 2003.

Voice of Sam Vander Rom, "Totally Rad," Cyberchase (animated), PBS, 2003.

Voice of Sam Vander Rom, "A Whale of a Tale," Cyber-chase (animated), PBS, 2003.

Voice of Sam Vander Rom, "The Wedding Scammer," Cyberchase (animated), PBS, 2003.

Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, syndicated, 2004.

Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC, 2004.

"Robots," HBO First Look, HBO, 2005.

The Daily Show (also known as A Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Global Edition), Comedy Central, 2005.

The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2005, 2006.

(Uncredited) Himself, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2006.

Himself, "Fireworks," 30 Rock, NBC, 2007.

Television Work; Series:

Managing editor and segment producer, Going Places, PBS, 1997.

Executive producer, Roker on the Road, Food Network, 2003.

Executive producer, Recipe for Success, Food Network, 2004.

Executive producer, Renovate My Place, 2005.

Executive producer, D.E.A., Spike TV, 2008.

Television Executive Producer; Specials:

Al Roker's World Championship Barbecue, Food Network, 1999.

Al Roker's Bahamas Reunion, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Dining on the Strip, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Midwest Fest, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Colonial Christmas, Food Network, 2000.

Al Roker's Around the World in New York City, Food Network, 2001.

Intimate Portrait: Judge Judy, Lifetime, 2001.

Al Roker's Tailgating Party, 2001.

Al Roker's Big Bad BBQ, 2002.

Tricked Out Tailgating, 2002.

Al Roker Investigates, Court TV, 2003.

Al Roker's Christmas in New York, Food Network, 2005.

Honor Deferred, History Channel, 2006.

Celebrity Food Fight, Food Network, 2006.

The Second Annual Quill Awards, NBC, 2006.

Uncovered: Hidden Lives of Miss USA, E! Entertainment Television, 2006.

Executive producer, Profiles in Courage: A Kennedy Legacy, NBC, 2006.

Childhood Obesity: Danger Zone, Food Network, 2006.

The Quill Awards, NBC, 2007.

Stage Appearances:

Mystery guest star, The Play What I Wrote, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 2003.

RECORDINGS

Audio Books:

Narrator, Don't Make Me Stop This Car! Adventures in Fatherhood, Simon & Schuster Audio, 2000.

WRITINGS

Don't Make Me Stop This Car! Adventures in Father-hood, self–illustrated, Scribner, 2000.

Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue, Scribner, 2002.

(With Marialisa Calta) Al Roker's Hassle–Free Holiday Cookbook: More Than 125 Recipes for Family Celebrations All Year Long, Scribner, 2003.

(With others) Big Shoes: In Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood, Hyperion, 2005.

Columnist for Parents. Contributor to periodicals, including TV Guide.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 12, Gale, 1996, Volume 49, Thomson Gale, 2005.

Newsmakers, Issue 1, Gale Group, 2003.

Periodicals:

Black Enterprise, April, 2005, p. 144.

Crain's New York Business, June 26, 2006, p. 1.

Entertainment Weekly, February 11, 1994, p. 42; January 31, 1997, p. 43.

New York, August 17, 1987, p. 20.

New York Times, September 2, 1992, pp. C1, C10.

Parade, January 5, 1997.

People Weekly, October 2, 1995, p. 72; April 12, 1999, pp. 85, 86, 88.

USA Today, April 9, 2008, p. 10D.

Variety, September 26, 2005, p. 22.

Electronic:

Al Roker Website, http://www.roker.com, September 20, 2008.

ROSENBERG, Melissa See RIVERS, Melissa