Gilbert Gottfried Dead at 67: Hollywood Mourns

Celebrity By TooFab Staff |
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"Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift."

Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67.

The legendary comic, whose distinctive voice won him legions of fans across generations, leaves behind two children daughter, Lily, and son, Max, who he shared with wife Dara Kravitz.

A statement was released on Tuesday from his family, announcing his passing: "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. 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 comedian's rep, Glenn Schwartz, told TMZ that Gottfried died from a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.

Gottfried was born in Brooklyn, New York, and by the age of 15 he started doing standup -- soon earning the reputation as the "the comedian's comedian." By 1980 he got a spot on Season 6 of "Saturday Night Live." He went on to have roles in many iconic films as well as lending his voice to various animated movies.

His iconic voicing of the parrot, Iago, in Disney's "Aladdin" franchise has provided entertainment for generations of children and families. A documentary on his life and career, titled "Gilbert," was released in 2017.

Following the sad news, the world of comedy and beyond mourned the passing of the entertainment legend on social media.

"Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander, who appeared to be the first to break the news of Gottfried's death, tweeted, "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."

Fellow comedians Jon Stewart, Bill Burr and Seth McFarlane all recalled memories of Gottfried, praising the comic for his ability to make people laugh.

"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," Stewart tweeted, while Burr wrote. "Rest In Peace Gilbert Gottfried! First time I saw him live he did his Jackie Kennedy bit: 'Jackie do you remember where you were…' in front of drunk Bruins fans at Nicks."

McFarlane, who directed and starred alongside Gottfried in the 2014 Western comedy, "A Million Ways to Die in the West," shared a clip of Gottfried from the film, in which he had a cameo as Abraham Lincoln.

Alongside the video, McFarlane wrote, "Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh so hard that day on set, I could barely do my job. A wholly original comic, and an equally kind and humble guy behind the scenes. He will be missed."

Meanwhile, Kathy Griffin also reacted to Gottfried's passing on Twitter. "Oh no! Gilbert," she wrote, adding two broken heart emojis. The Emmy winner also reshared a tweet that Gottfried had posted back in January following the tragic deaths of Louie Anderson and Bob Saget. Both comedians passed away in the month of January.

In the photo, the three comedy legends can be seen posing for a selfie. "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed," Gottfried wrote at the time.

Alongside Gottfried's tweet, Griffin wrote, "Gilbert would be the first one to make a joke about this picture today. The first. And he would not hold back."

The photo has gone viral in the wake of Gottfried's death.

See how more stars are paying tribute to Gottfried in the tweet, below.

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