Film critic, television personality, and five time New York Emmy winner Joel Siegel died today after a decade-long battle with colon cancer. Siegel passed away surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues at his home in New York. He was 63.
As resident film critic at ABC’s "Good Morning, America," Siegel was known for his humor and cheerful good nature. Siegel brought such personality to each of his reviews that many colleagues and viewers forgot, or were even unaware, that he had been fighting colon cancer since 1997.
"Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him," said ABC News President David Westin, via ABCNews.com, "He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Born on July 7, 1943 in Los Angeles, Siegel was raised in Southern California, becoming an activist as a UCLA student. He knew and marched with Martin Luther King, and campaigned and wrote jokes for Robert F. Kennedy. Siegel was among those present during Kennedy’s assassination at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968.
Siegel transformed his activist traditions into humanitarianism in his later years, founding Gilda’s Club, a non-profit group named after friend Gilda Radner designed to help cancer patients and their families cope, financially and emotionally.
"He had an inexhaustible supply of stories, most funny, many poignant, all with a point or a punch line," said ABC anchor Joel Gibson.
After learning that he had only a 70 percent chance of being alive to see his son born, Siegel wrote "Lessons for Dylan" in 2003, an account of the wisdom he wished to impart on his son. The book, however, was mass published on the merit that it was a universal missive for all fathers to read, a guide to future parenthood with his trademark wit, sensitivity, and candidness.
"Film critic may have been his job description — what he really did was tell us about the wonder and heartbreak of life," ABC anchor Diane Sawyer reminisced.
On July 17, 2006, he courted major controversy during an early screening of "Clerks II. " Siegel walked out 40 minutes into the movie, claiming it was the first movie he was walking out on in 30 years. Director Kevin Smith criticized his behavior as highly unprofessional.
Around the RT office, we designated Siegel as part of a new old guard, critics — like Roger Ebert, Gene Shalit, and Leonard Maltin — whose engaging and accessible reviews brought film criticism to public awareness like few others did.
Siegel is survived by his son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea.
