He was instantly recognizable by his incredible moustache and bushy black hair. But Gene Shalit was about more than his unmistakable look. He was NBC's entertainment reporter and movie critic for 40 years, mostly on the Today Show. And he was a man after my own heart, bringing some of the worst puns ever heard on TV to his reviews. 

He was fearless in asking questions of everybody and everything. Even if they weren't exactly human.

"In addition to reviewing Hollywood releases, Shalit interviewed some of the biggest stars of the day, from Oprah Winfrey to Harrison Ford. His questions ranged from the serious to the silly, such as when he asked Kermit the Frog whether he planned to marry Miss Piggy."

He also asked Harrison Ford if he minded being named after two presidents. Ford was not amused, saying archly "It's never come up before."

The network revealed on Friday that Shalit had passed away. Though he retired in 2010 and was rarely seen on screen again, he reached at least one last milestone - he made it to the age of 100. 

Here's his obit, fittingly enough from NBC News.

Gene Shalit, ‘TODAY’ show movie critic, dies at 100