Legendary Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, 1955-2022

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Gilbert Gottfried passed away and it seemed like everyone was completely blindsided. His family said he died after a long illness, which is manager later revealed was Muscular Dystrophy. He was 67.

Gilbert was one of the funniest comedians of our lifetime. It’s not up for debate. He brought laughs and lightness to the darkest moments and was the perfect proof of the idea that no subject is off limits for a joke. He was also the perfect proof that making offensive jokes in the darkest moments only works if the joke is absolutely brilliant. Gottfried was a master of this. Using a combination of great joke writing, and perfect performance he dared run through topics others had better not even tip toe through.

Everyone knew Gilbert Gottfried. If from nothing else, you knew him from his legendary voice work alongside fellow genius Robin Williams in Disney’s Aladdin. You certainly knew him from the Aristocrats where he proved that he is and will remain the master of the dirty joke. You knew him from television and film roles, not just Problem Child but also the smaller parts that were scene stealing and show stealing- like his small but unforgettable role as Sidney Bernstein in Beverly Hills Cop, or his appearance on The Cosby Show ruining Dr. Huxtable’s plan to get a better deal on a new car. Podcast fans loved Gilbert’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, which took off almost immediately after he jumped into the podcast game and was graced with incredible legendary guests talking candidly with their show business friend. But those who knew him best, knew Gilbert as one of the funniest, fastest, and most original stand up comedians of our time. And every time you saw him on stage, you thought, oh shit, he’s even funnier than I remembered, he’s even better than I remembered.  And he was known for getting fired. Gilbert liked to cross the line and as much as the corporate world wanted to cash in on his popularity and skills, Gilbert could never resist making the joke that would end one partnership or another. And we loved him for it. He never even complained about it, he just moved on.

Gilbert lived most of his public life in character- almost never letting his audience hear his real voice, or see him without the body movements and facial expressions he so famously employed on stage and on camera. And his private life was a mystery to those who didn’t know him personally. So in 2017 when the Gilbert documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, no one was prepared for the level of candid access director Neil Berkeley gave us to Gilbert’s inner life. We saw all the quirks and compulsions, including taking the bus to gigs, and hoarding of free hotel toiletries, and another unexpected side of Gilbert, his incredibly beautiful relationship with his sister.

To learn more about Gilbert, watch the doc, and read his book, Rubber Balls and Liquor, watch the Aristocrats, and every roast you can get your hands on. Listen to his two Unmasked episodes on SiriusXM, one hour promoting his book, and the other talking about the documentary. Listen to his appearance on Stern, if you have access to them.  And then just go to youtube and watch all the magnificent clips you can find and laugh. But first, read these posts from social media, as comedians share their first reactions to hearing about this tremendous loss.

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Debra Kessler
Debra Kessler