Topline
Actor and comedian Gilbert Gottfried, best known for his raspy voice and controversial jokes, died at age 67, according to a statement from his family posted to his Twitter account Tuesday.
Gilbert Gottfried hosts “Amazing Colossal Show” on Comedy Greats at SiriusXM Studios on February 03, … [+]
Key Facts
Gottfried died after “a long illness,” his family said.
He is survived by his wife Dara and his two children, Lily and Max.
Crucial Quote
“Please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” his family said.
Key Background
Gottfried was born in Brooklyn, and became known in the comedy scene for his unique, shrill voice and his crude sense of humor. He was known as one of the best tellers of “The Aristocrats,” which is often considered to be the “dirtiest joke ever” or “the best dirty joke.” Told for decades, the joke starts with a man or family walking into a talent agency and an agent asking what their act is. The comedian launches into a tirade of filthy acts, before landing on the punchline, “we call ourselves The Aristocrats.” Gottfried famously told his rendition of the joke during the roast of Playboy editor Hugh Hefner shortly after the September 11 attacks, as well as a joke about the attacks themselves, which was chronicled in the 2005 documentary The Aristocrats. During his career, Gottfried lent his voice to many beloved animated characters, including Iago in Disney’s Aladdin and Digit in the long-running PBS Kids series Cyberchase. In the 90s he starred in the Problem Child Movies. He was fired from voicing Aflac’s duck mascot in 2011 after joking on Twitter about the earthquake and tsunami that impacted Japan that year. Since 2014 he has hosted Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast.
Robin Williams, Bob Saget and Gilbert Gottfried attend a NY Comedy Festival event on November 6, … [+]
Tangent
Actor Jason Alexander was seemingly the first person to break the news of Gottfried’s death, posting a tribute on Twitter before Gottfried’s family released its statement: “Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift,” Alexander wrote. Comedians and public figures like Conan O’Brian, Richard Lewis and Donald Trump Jr.—Gottfried appeared on his father’s show Celebrity Apprentice—also praised Gottfried.
Surprising Fact
Gottfried’s friends and fellow comedians Bob Saget and Louie Anderson died earlier this year.
Further Reading
Diving Deep Into the Dirtiest Joke Ever in ‘The Aristocrats’ (Vulture)
The Greatest Dirty Joke Ever Told (The New York Times)
Gilbert Gottfried, Actor and Comedian, Dead at 67 (Entertainment Tonight)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/04/12/comedian-gilbert-gottfried-dead-at-67/