Early life and education
Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. was born on August 20, 1954, in the borough of Queens, New York City.1 His father, Albert Lincoln Roker Sr., was a bus driver of Bahamian descent; his mother, Isabel, was of Jamaican descent.1 Growing up, Roker initially aspired to be a cartoonist.1
He attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, then enrolled at the State University of New York at Oswego, where he earned a B.A. in communications in 1976.1 While still a student he began his on-air career in 1974, working as a part-time weekend weatherman at CBS affiliate WHEN-TV in Syracuse, New York.1
Career
Early television work
After graduating from SUNY Oswego, Roker moved to WTTG in Washington, D.C., before joining NBC in 1978 at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, then an NBC owned-and-operated station.1 After five successful years in Cleveland he was brought to the network's flagship outlet, WNBC-TV in New York City, in late 1983.1 He initially served as a weekend meteorologist and within eight months became the station's regular weeknight weathercaster, succeeding veteran Frank Field.1
Today
In 1996, when longtime Today weatherman Willard Scott announced his retirement, Roker was chosen as his replacement.1 He officially took over as the show's full-time weather anchor on January 26, 1996, and has held the position ever since, making him one of the longest-serving cast members in the program's history.1 He co-hosted the show's third hour ("Today's Take") from 2012 to 2017 and continues to appear as a co-host on the 3rd Hour Today.1
Roker became known for conducting live outdoor interviews and forecasts on the plaza outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza and for continuing Scott's tradition of wishing centenarians a happy birthday on-air. He has hosted NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 19951 and has also anchored the Rose Bowl Parade for NBC.
Al Roker Entertainment
In 1994, Roker founded Al Roker Entertainment, an independent production company that has produced reality, documentary, and news programming for broadcast and cable networks.4
Writing
Roker is the author of more than a dozen books across multiple genres.4 His mystery novel series, centered on detective Billy Blessing, includes The Morning Show Murders (2010), The Midnight Show Murders (2011), and The Talk Show Murders (2012), co-written with Dick Lochte. He has also written cookbooks (Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue, Al Roker's Hassle-Free Holiday Cookbook), an account of fatherhood (Don't Make Me Stop This Car: Adventures in Fatherhood), and several children's books.
Awards and recognition
Roker has received fourteen Emmy Awards over his career.4 In 2025, he received a Lifetime Achievement honor at the 46th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, recognizing his contributions to broadcast journalism over more than four decades.2
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
Roker appeared as himself in Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), the Sony reboot directed by Paul Feig.3 His cameo occurs in Chapter 16 of the film: at 12:08 pm, Roker is seen on the Today show standing before a weather map of the United States and discussing the aftermath of Rowan North's ghost invasion.3 With the government attempting to deny the supernatural nature of the events, Roker openly speculates on air whether the four women calling themselves the Ghostbusters are the ones responsible for stopping the attack.3 Erin Gilbert sees the broadcast while seated with the rest of the team and remarks that she now understands how Batman feels.3
Roker has said he agreed to work the cameo in after learning about the production. He also visited the Boston filming location during production, which was covered as a segment for Today.5
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Roker was featured in a television promotional spot for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).
Today show tribute (2026)
On the January 26, 2026 episode of Today, during an appearance by Ernie Hudson, Roker was presented with a collection of Ghostbusters memorabilia: a Hasbro Plasma Series Proton Pack, a Ghost Trap from the Two in the Box set, and a signed Winston Zeddemore Funko Pop from the 35th Anniversary line.
Personal life
Roker has been married three times.1 He married Mary Puglisi in 1976; they later divorced.1 He then married Alice Bell in 1984; they also divorced.1 In 1995, he married Deborah Roberts, a fellow journalist and ABC News correspondent; they remain married.1 He adopted a daughter, Courtney, in 1987.1 He and Roberts have two biological children: daughter Leila (born 1998) and son Nicholas (born 2002).1 The family lives on Manhattan's Upper East Side and in the Berkshires.1
Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2002.1 He has also had knee replacements, carpal tunnel surgery (2018), a hip replacement (2019), and was treated for prostate cancer in 2020.1 In November 2022, he was hospitalized after developing blood clots; the hospitalization also revealed internal bleeding, stomach ulcers, and the need for a colon resection.1 He returned to the air on January 6, 2023.1
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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"Al Roker," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Roker
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Variety, "Al Roker, Jon Else to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honors at 46th News and Documentary Emmys" (May 2025), https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/al-roker-jon-else-lifetime-honored-news-documentary-emmys-1236412572/
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Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), dir. Paul Feig, Sony Pictures. Chapter 16.
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Al Roker Entertainment, "Al Roker" (official biography), accessed 2026-06-13, https://alrokerentertainment.com/al-roker/
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TODAY.com, "Who you gonna call? Al Roker! Watch his visit to the 'Ghostbusters' set" (April 2016), https://www.today.com/popculture/today-s-al-roker-drops-ghostbusters-set-slimy-experience-t86356
