The 10 Best Gilbert Gottfried Performances of All Time
Gilbert Gottfried’s family announced on Tuesday that the comedian had died after a long illness later revealed to be type II myotonic dystrophy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He maintained a speaking schedule and recorded episodes of his podcast in the weeks leading up to his passing. Since at least the early 1980s, he has been a constant presence in film, television, and relay races, with his distinctive voice serving as an instantly recognizable calling card.
But how devoted was he to the cause of Gilbert Gottfried? To that loud and memorable voice and that overdeveloped sense of the absurd that sometimes confused him? To what extent was it an action? The answer offered by the 2017 documentary about Gilbert (and just about everyone who has ever known him) is…not as great as you might think.
And he did shock more than once – sometimes in ways that seem bizarre by today’s standards (masturbation jokes no longer have the power they used to), and sometimes (jokes about 9/11, Hitler and the backstage of Full House , for example) with material , which hasn’t lost much of its pungency. Even though he was known for keeping nothing in his comedy, he was still one of the most sought-after and successful children’s voiceovers in modern history.
Gottfried has been a staple of pop culture for the past four decades (give or take), with a boundless love for and knowledge of classic films, leading to the long-running (400+ episodes) Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast! (with co-host Frank Santopadre). By all accounts, he was a genuinely kind person who, as it turned out, had a gift for the jugular comedian and an impeccable sense of the absurd. He was 67 years old.