“I can’t believe it! I just don’t believe it! We’re never gonna get ahold of that stupid lamp! Just forget it! Look at this. Look at this. I’m so ticked off that I’m molting.” – Iago, Aladdin (1992).
“Never fear, the Didge is here!” – Digit LeBoid, Cyberchase (2002).
From voice-overing cartoons to bringing unforgettable laughs in comedy, comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried, unfortunately, has met his final days in his long battle with myotonic dystrophy type 2, a type of muscular dystrophy. Many comedians and celebrities have paid tribute to Gottfried when they heard of his death, saying that Gottfried was always a funny and charming guy. His jokes stand out most when he spouts inaccurate information about politics and rough-and-ready humor.
As a Brooklyn native, Gottfried started in comedy at age 15. He had the fortunate opportunity to get involved with Saturday Night Live during season six in 1980. He played characters such as a husband who is obsessed with walking pillow pets, a nasal-toned man attempting to get revenge on Charlie, and redneck Cooter who says he hasn’t been “nowhere” and hasn’t been doing “nothing.” In the 90s, Gottfried got himself in films like Problem Child, Highway to Hell, and Look Who’s Talking Too. His distinguishable voice allowed him to land animated roles in stories like Aladdin, Disney’s House of Mouse, and Spongebob Squarepants.
Neil Berkeley, the director of the documentary Gilbert, said, “Gottfried displays no regrets; he has the courage of his abrasive conviction. The most offensive joke we see him tell is one in which he compares his own daughter to Mackenzie Phillips — but if the joke, on some level, is indefensible, it’s really one designed to mock his own insecurities. He is full of fear but fearless. He’s just kidding but totally means it. He’s a man who puts on his entire stand-up personality like a moth-balled old suit, but once he’s in character he is never more himself. You may or may not walk away from ‘Gilbert’ a Gilbert Gottfried fan, but either way the movie makes you glad he exists.”
Gottfried is someone one would call a wonderfully gifted actor. One of his notable jokes was about the aristocrats that dealt with multiple taboo topics such as incest, animal cruelty, racism, and murder. He said, “I have always felt comedy and tragedy are roommates.”
Even when Gottfried didn’t appear as often on the small and silver screen in the later years, his hilarious voice still echoed in the podcast, “Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast.”
“Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift,” said Jason Alexander.
