Legendary film critic Roger Ebert died Thursday at the age of 70. He had been battling poor health over the past years, and had cancer of the thyroid and salivary gland.

Ebert got his start as a critic writing reviews for The Chicago Sun Times in 1967 and continued to do so for much of his life. He grew his fame and popularity from his TV show with Gene Siskel, who passed away in 1999 at the age of 53. Siskel and Ebert At The Movies ran for thirteen years starting which began in1986.

Ebert, continued the show even after Siskel's death with Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper.

Gene's daughter, Kate Siskel released a statement about the death of Ebert and said the film critic was like an "uncle" to her.

"He and my dad were like brothers," Kate said. "They had a friendly rivalry, but their relationship is best defined by their mutual respect, love for film and love for one another."

Ebert and Gene started collaborating back in 1975, the same year Ebert won a Pulitzer prize --on Opening Soon at a Theater Near You. The segment eventually turned into Sneak Previews, which gained notoriety and went national on the Public Broadcasting Service.

Ebert struggled with cancer since 2002. A few days ago, he announced a "leave of presence" on his website due to health issues. "So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me," he wrote. "I'll see you at the movies."

President Obama honored Ebert in a statement and said that the film critic's opinions about movies was greatly appreciated and valued. "When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive - capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient."