Comedian Gilbert Gottfried has died at age 67, in line with his household.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness,” his household wrote in a press release shared to his Twitter account.
Gottfried died at 2:35 p.m. ET on Tuesday from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia as a consequence of Myotonic (*67*) sort II, in line with Glenn Schwartz, his longtime pal and publicist.
Gottfried, who has been performing stand-up comedy for over 50 years, turned referred to as “the comedian’s comedian” “because his live performances put aside political correctness while he delivers jokes that know no boundaries,” his consultant mentioned in a press release.
His comedic profession led to roles in movies together with “Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Problem Child,” “Look Who’s Talking II” and “The Aristocrats.” He was additionally the voice of the sensible cracking parrot Iago in Disney’s iconic animated movie “Aladdin.”
More lately, in 2017, he was the topic of the documentary “Gilbert,” about his life. He additionally co-hosted a podcast, “Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!”, the place he and Frank Santopadre interviewed Hollywood icons and legends.
His household described him as “the most iconic voice in comedy” in addition to a “wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children.”
“Although today is a sad day for us all, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” his household wrote.
Actor Jason Alexander was amongst those that shared his condolences on Tuesday.
“Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift,” he wrote in a tweet. “I didn’t know him effectively however I beloved what he shared with me. My finest needs and sympathy to his household. #ripGilbertGottfried“
Santopadre described Gottfried’s humor as “brash, shocking and frequently offensive, but the man behind the jokes was anything but.”
“Those who loved and him were fortunate enough to share his orbit knew a person who was sweet, sensitive, surprisingly shy and filled with a childlike sense of playfulness and wonder,” Santopadre mentioned in a press release offered through Gottfried’s publicist. “He’ll be dearly missed by family, friends, fans and comedylovers the world over. To quote Gilbert himself, ‘Too soon!'”
Other celebrities additionally mourned Gottfried on social media, sharing fond reminiscences that they had with him and the influence he had on their lives.
“I am so sad to read about the passing of Gilbert Gottfried,” Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin wrote in a tweet. “Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside. We met many times; he even pranked me on a plane, replacing my intepreter @655jack (they’re like twins). Sending love to Dara & his children.”
Brian Koppelman, “Billions” co-creator and showrunner, mentioned Gottfried’s rise up “changed” him.
“Gilbert Gottfried meant more to me than you probably know,” he wrote in a tweet. “I have talked about this on my podcast and on his, but when I was 14 I got to see him do stand up, and it changed me. His subversiveness and bravery were unparalleled. And he made you fall down laughing. This sucks.”
Comedian Dane Cook mentioned “Gottfried was never not funny.”
“He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy,” Cook wrote in a tweet.
Gottfried is survived by his spouse Dara, daughter Lily, 14, son Max, 12, sister Karen and nephew Graham.
Amanda Sidman contributed.