The publicist for Gilbert Gottfried revealed the comedian and actor died Tuesday from a rare genetic muscle disease that affects the heart. Glenn Schwartz confirmed the update to Entertainment Weekly after Gilbert Gottfried’s family announced he had passed away due to a long illness. Gottfried was 67 years old at the time of his death. ET cites the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center in the diagnosis, stating the comedian and actor died “from recurrent ventricular tachycardia due to myotonic dystrophy type II, described as an inherited dystrophy that affects the muscles and other systems, which could result in an abnormal heartbeat.”
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“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness,” the family statement reads. “In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor. Love, the Gottfried family.”
Jason Alexander was one of the individuals to post about Gottfried’s passing. “Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family. #ripGilbertGottfried,” Alexander wrote on Twitter. Fellow comedian and editor Emery Emery also shared a message mourning the passing of Gottfried: “On the morning I’m releasing my latest film, I discover my friend and colleague, Gilbert Gottfried has passed. I am so so sad. Gilbert graciously lent his voice to the ‘Science Friction’ project and he will be dearly missed but never forgotten. This is his hilarious contribution.”
In the time since Gottfried’s passing was announced, entertainers from all corners of Hollywood have taken to social media to mourn the actor, and to share various stories of their time with him. Here are just a few of those reactions.
Aside from his early years as a stand-up comic, Gilbert Gottfried was also known for his signature voice, which helped him rise as a prominent voice actor for television commercials and animated TV shows and movies. Some of his TV appearances include Saturday Night Live, The Cosby Show, Married… With Children, and Night Court. Gilbert lent his voice to animated projects such as Aladdin, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Duckman, Superman: The Animated Series, The Fairly OddParents, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, and many more.
Perhaps Gottfried’s most iconic role came as the voice of Iago the Parrot on Aladdin and the Aflac duck in TV commercials. Gottfried talked to RogerEbert.com about the creative control he was allowed when voicing Iago.
“They definitely left it open for me to be able to play around and throw in lines,” he said in the 2017 interview. “When they are recording your voice, they have a video camera in the room so they can capture your facial expressions, which influenced the way that the parrot was drawn. One time, the artist showed me a drawing he made where you see a caricature of me that slowly transforms into Iago. There was a particular line in the film that I had ad-libbed, and someone told me that Robin Williams cracked up when he heard it. It was during a scene where Iago and Jafar have to escape, and I go, ‘Quick, let’s get everything: the guns, the knives, the hand grenades—and what about this picture of me? Do you like it? I think I’m making a weird face in it.’ That was a lot of fun. Of course, every now and then, they would have to stop me and go, ‘This is a Disney film. We can’t really use that word.’ [laughs]”
Cover photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for SiriusXM
