Film critic Roger Ebert, 68, lost the ability to speak about four and a half years ago due to complications from surgery to remove thyroid cancer. He was left with part of his jaw removed and was unable to eat or drink. He’s maintained a heavy schedule reviewing films, though, thanks to the help of his devoted wife of 19 years, Chaz. One thing Roger hasn’t done yet is appear as a critic on television. (Sort of, he did make a cameo on Oprah last year, during which he spoke through a text-to-speech program. He successfully predicted all of the Oscar winners last year.)

That all changed when Roger made a narrated guest appearance on the first episode of a new reboot of his famous “At the Movies” review show, which went through several iterations with different hosts. Roger’s original co-host, Gene Siskel, passed away from brain cancer in 1999. The new hosts will be Christy Lemire of The Associated Press, and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of Mubi.com. Roger wore a new silicone prosthetic chin on the show and explained that it’s not to “fool anyone,” but is just “a pleasant reminder of the person I was for 64 years.”

It was a problem finding the right material. Two original models were too stiff, so that my head held upright reminded me of Erich von Stroheim in “Grand Illusion.” I couldn’t look down easily, which was a problem for walking and typing. Two weeks ago, David was back with a softer silicone that was much more wearable. Since I’d last met him he’d been in Haiti and Guatemala fitting false limbs for children who had lost arms or legs in natural calamities. My problems are small potatoes. David snapped the photo below after the fitting, and before the final coloring had been completed. I’d say he and Julie did a pretty wonderful damn job. I like my new prothesis and know from observation their work was painstaking and done with love and care.

I will wear the prosthesis on the new television show. That’s not to fool anyone, because my appearance is widely known. It will be used in a medium shot of me working in my office, and will be a pleasant reminder of the person I was for 64 years. Symbolically, it’s as if my illness never happened and, hey, here I still am, on the show with these new kids. When people see the “Roger’s Office” segment, they’ll notice my voice more than my appearance.

At the beginning of this process I assumed I would wear the new prosthesis whenever I left the house, so that “nobody would know.” But everybody knows. The photograph of me that appeared in Esquire even found its way onto billboards in China. And something else has happened since that day in the hospital: I accept the way I look. Lord knows I paid the dues.

[From Roger Ebert’s blog]

That’s really nice and I love to see Ebert back on television. I used to watch Siskel and Ebert when I was in high school, and they always cracked me up with how they would argue. I read Ebert’s column regularly and you can hear his “voice” through his superb writing and the very unique analytical way he has of reviewing films. He’s one of a kind and I admire him so much.

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Here’s Ebert without his prosthesis: