Roger Ebert Opens Up About Finding His New “Voice”

One of the most famous and respected voices in the film critic community had to stare down the almost inconceivable notion that he would never speak again.

In a rare interview with "Today," film critic and author Roger Ebert opened up about how he came to terms with harsh reality after thyroid and salivary gland cancer left him without a lower jaw.

"There was never a time when anyone told me I'd never be able to speak again," says Ebert, via the computer-generated voice (dubbed "Alex") he now uses to communicate. "Naturally, I felt awful, but I had to accept reality."

Ebert appeared on "Today" to talk about his new memoir, "Life Itself," which tackles his career from film critic to TV personality to, now, highly-influential film blogger.

Despite being limited to typing, Ebert has not lost his flair for controversy. Recently, he was chastised by "Jackass" star Bam Margera after Ebert posted unsympathetic comments about the late Ryan Dunn on his Twitter page.

In the interview, Ebert credits his wife of nearly 20 years, Chaz, with pushing him to continue writing.

"She is like a force of nature," he says. "When she sets her mind on something, she is awesome."