Chaz Ebert

Chaz Ebert (née Hammel, previously Hammel-Smith, born October 15, 1952) is an American businesswoman. She is best known for her marriage to film critic Roger Ebert, having been married to him from 1992 until his death in 2013.

Early life Ebert was born Charlie Hammel in Chicago, Illinois, to Johnnie Hobbs Hammel and Wiley Hammel Sr. She attended Crane Technical High School in Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dubuque, a Master of Arts from University of Wisconsin–Platteville, and a Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law.

Career Ebert was an executive producer and guest on Ebert Presents: At the Movies. She is the CEO and publisher of Ebert Digital, which publishes RogerEbert.com, a website that contains an archive of her deceased husband Roger Ebert's film reviews and publishes contributors' film reviews. She was featured in the 2014 documentary Life Itself about Roger Ebert and was an executive producer of the 2019 film Selah and the Spades.

In 2005, Ebert was part of a group of high-profile minority and female shareholders who filed a federal lawsuit against other investors in the bankrupt Rosemont, Illinois-based Emerald Casino. Ebert and the other investors said they lost more than $21 million after the Illinois Gaming Board revoked the license from the Emerald Casino, reportedly because the other investors were accused of lying to state regulators or having ties to organized crime.

After the death of her husband in 2013 and until 2026, Ebert became the host of Ebertfest, an annual film festival held in Champaign, Illinois, in collaboration with the UIUC College of Media.

On September 28, 2022, during the 2022 Screen Gems Benefit, Ebert announced that she would make her directorial debut on a documentary about Deborah Szekely, the centenarian so-called godmother of health and fitness. The film, entitled The Wellness Warrior, premiered on October 26, 2024, at the Chicago International Film Festival.

On May 7, 2024, Ebert published a book entitled It's Time to Give a FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness, about the importance of forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and kindness, inspired by the work of her late husband Roger Ebert.

Personal life Ebert has two children from her first marriage to Merle Smith, whom she divorced. She was married to film critic Roger Ebert from 1992 until his death in 2013.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2007 The 17th Annual Gotham Awards Herself TV special 2013 Roger Ebert's 14th Annual Film Festival: A Retrospective Herself Short film 2014 Life Itself Herself 2019 90 Years of the Music Box Theatre Herself Short film 2019 Benjamin Marshall Architect Herself Short film 2021 3rd Annual AAFCA TV Honors Herself TV special 2024 The 15th Annual AAFCA Awards Herself TV special

Television Year Title Role Notes 2010 The Oprah Winfrey Show Guest Episode: "Oprah's Pre-Oscar Special" 2011 Ebert Presents: At the Movies Contributor 10 episodes 2013 Entertainment Tonight Herself 1 episode 2014 HuffPost Live Conversations Guest 1 episode Tavis Smiley Guest 1 episode The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Herself Episode: "Dan Aykroyd/Chaz Ebert/Nick Thune" 2014-2015 The Insider Herself 2 episodes 2019 CTV News at 11:30 Toronto Herself 1 episode CTV News at Noon Tornoto Herself 1 episode 2024 Tamron Hall Herself Episode: "Let's Get Lit! (2024) #2"

Audio Year Title Role Notes 2014 LCJ Q&A Podcast Guest Episode: "Chaz Ebert" 2018 Maltin on Movies Guest Episode: "Chaz Ebert" 2019 Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso Herself Episode: "Chaz Ebert" 2022 Lagralane Spirits Guest Episode: "Passing Part 2 - The Roles We Play"

Publications

Awards and honors On September 28, 2022, Ebert was awarded the FACETS Legend Award at the 2022 Screen Gems Benefit for her efforts to promote diversity within the film world.