Comedian Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67, according to an official statement shared by his family through his Twitter account. He died “after a long illness,” the specifics of which were not shared.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried,” read the statement. “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.”
The statement making reference to Gottfried’s “iconic voice” is true in many ways. Gottfried rose to fame in part thanks to the affected, shrill voice he exaggeratedly employed in his stand-up ever since the 1980s–which eventually got him in the door as a Saturday Night Live repertory player in Season 6 of the long-running show.
Although his stint on SNL wound up being little more than a footnote in his career, it also led to bigger–and more impactful–work as a voice actor. His portrayal of the wise-cracking Iago the Parrot in 1992’s Aladdin, and other direct-to-video sequels, was a gateway to other memorable roles on animated shows including The Ren & Stimpy Show, Duckman, and Home Movies. He also played a role in the Kingdom Hearts games and animated DC shows, among many other projects.
In 2017, Gottfried peeled the curtain back on his real life with the documentary Gilbert. The film showcased his insightful personality far more than his grating voice, presenting a portrait of a thoughtful man navigating relationships with his wife, children, parents, and siblings. The documentary also discusses the controversies surrounding Gottfried’s controversial tweets after the 2011 earthquake disaster in Japan leading to his being fired as the voice of the Aflac duck.
The news also is a poignant and sad development on the heels of Gottfried eulogizing the recent deaths of his contemporaries Bob Saget and Louie Anderson.
Gottfried was performing live as recently as March 27.
