Roger Ebert Speaks for the First Time in 4 Years on Oprah

The latest issue of Esquire magazine includes, as we also informed you, a very moving piece on the most esteemed movie critic in Hollywood, Roger Ebert. After being diagnosed with cancer and having had his jaw removed, the critic became unable to eat, drink or speak 4 years ago. On Oprah, he and wife Chaz just showcased his new “voice,” thanks to a text-to-speech application, as Dvice can confirm.

Sitting side by side with his wife of almost two decades, Chaz, the woman who is both his partner and his caretaker and who would never lose hope, Ebert showcased his new voice in what made for a very touching moment on television. Not only does the application render in sound what he types on his Mac, but it does so using his own voice, as compiled from older recordings and televised appearances of his, from before the cancer diagnosis.

“Film critic Roger Ebert lost a portion of his jaw as well as his ability to speak – though not his ability to be vocal – after a long battle with papillary thyroid cancer. Since then he’s used a series of computer voice synthesizers to talk, but those voice snyths don’t sound like him. Now, one does. Scottish-based CereProc, which specializes in voice synthesizers that have accents from around the world – the company even simulated the unique speech patterns of former President George W. Bush – has recreated Roger Ebert’s voice using samples from the critic’s many DVD audio commentaries. For CereProc, it’s the company's most ambitious voice synthesizer yet,” Dvice says.

The effect on Chaz is almost immediate: after not hearing her husband’s voice for 4 long years, she bursts into tears when she finally realizes that this is really him speaking. “I actually think it’s incredible, it’s incredible that that’s your voice,” she says wiping her tears. “It still needs improvement, but at least it sounds like me… In first grade, they said I talked too much. And now I still can,” Ebert jokes, adding that he’d best describe the moment by an “uncanny, a good feeling.”

In the Oprah interview, Ebert, who still schedules up to 4 movies for review a day (and who is happy to announce that he is cancer free), also casts his vote for this year’s Oscars. Best Supporting Actress would go to Mo’nique for “Precious,” Best Supporting Actor to Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds,” Best Actress to Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” and Best Actor to Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart.” The only categories that are more “dicey” are that of Best Director and Best Movie, where Ebert can’t say whether it’ll be “The Hurt Locker” or “Avatar” that gets to take the statuette home.

Below is movie critic Roger Ebert showcasing his own voice after 4 long years of silence.