Gilbert Gottfried Has Died At 67 & Tributes Are Pouring In For The 'Aladdin' Voice Actor
His last joke was about the Oscars slap. 👋
Gilbert Gottfried at TIFF. Right: Iago the parrot from Disney's 'Aladdin.'
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who played angry and stressed-out parrot Iago in Aladdin, has died at the age of 67, according to his family.
He died of complications from muscular dystrophy after a long illness, his publicist told The Washington Post.
"In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children," his family said in a statement. "Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honour."
Gottfried was born in Brooklyn in 1955 and started doing standup comedy as a teenager, Variety reports. He had a 12-episode run on season six of Saturday Night Live in 1980 and went on to appear in many movies after his stint at SNL.
Most millennials would remember him as the voice of Iago in Disney's Aladdin and its sequels. He also lent his intense voice to the Aflac duck in many commercials and offered it up via Cameo last Valentine's Day.
"Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny," comedian Dane Cook tweeted after the announcement of his death. "He was a lovely guy, always friendly and made many people happy."
"Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside," CODA star Marlee Matlin tweeted.
"He even pranked me on a plane, replacing my interpreter."
Others remembered him for his role in Aladdin, with many mourning him alongside Robin Williams, who played Genie.
"They're together again," one Twitter user wrote.
It's unclear exactly how quickly Gottfried's health declined, but his last joke on Twitter was a fitting one.
On the day after the infamous moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, Gottfried tweeted a photo of himself with Rock.
"Which is the worst crime?" he wrote. "Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?"