Noah Janowski April 13th, 2022 - 3:03 PM
Gilbert Gottfried, the comedian and actor known for having one of Hollywood’s most recognizable voices, has died, according to an announcement on his official Twitter page. Gottfried was 67 years old.
— Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert) April 12, 2022
His publicist, Glenn Schwartz, told The Washington Post that he died of myotonic dystrophy type 2, a form of muscular dystrophy.
Gottfried’s most notable roles included lago the parrot in Aladdin, Mr. Peabody in Problem Child, Johnny Crunch in The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane, Digit in Cyberchase, the PBS Kids show, and the Aflac duck in commercials for the insurance company.
Gottfried’s memorable voice landed him many voice acting roles including Kraang Subprime in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mr. Mxyzptlk in Superman: The Animated Series, and Dr. Bender and his son Wendell in The Fairly OddParents.
Gottfried was also known for his crude and non-politically correct humor. He appeared on many of Comedy Central’s roasts, including ones for Bob Saget (Full House), Joan Rivers (Spaceballs), David Hasselhof (Baywatch), Donald Trump (The Apprentice) and Roseanne Barr (Roseanne). He was also a regular guest on The Howard Stern Show. He appeared on many game shows as well, including Hollywood Squares and Pyramid.
Multiple Hollywood figures took the time to pay their respects to Gottfried on Twitter:
Sending love to @RealGilbert’s wife Dara, his family & fans. Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny. He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy.
— Dane Cook (@DaneCook) April 12, 2022
He was a unique voice in comedy on so many levels. Unpredictable, one-of-a-kind, hilarious & irreplaceable! Thank you for the lifetime of laughs, sir.#RIP_GilbertGottfried 💔 https://t.co/5tUbQBdnn6
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) April 12, 2022
RIP Gilbert. Opening for Gilbert Gottfried at Carolines and Princeton Catch was one of the great thrills of my early stand up life. He could leave you gasping for breath…just indescribably unusually hilarious…Damn.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) April 12, 2022
Nobody was funnier than @RealGilbert on a roll. He could put you into convulsive hysterics. He was also the sweetest man. His podcast is a comedy treasure. What a terrible loss. Sending my condolences and love to Dara and his family. https://t.co/qdZQV1A6sC
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) April 12, 2022
This is a sad day. https://t.co/Ed7VbNPOTX
— Tiffany Haddish (@TiffanyHaddish) April 12, 2022
Gottfried is survived by his wife, Dara Kravitz, and two children, Lily and Max.
