Comedy icons are paying tribute to Gilbert Gottfried following the beloved funnyman’s tragic death.
Gottfried’s death on Tuesday rocked the entertainment world. Fans and celebrities alike penned heartfelt messages about the comic, who was just 67 when he died.
Conan O’Brien led tributes, calling Gottfried the “nerviest, funniest thing I had seen.”
“I saw Gilbert perform in 1985 and when he entered to applause he said, ‘Thank you, thank you very much.’
He then continued to say ‘thank you’ repeatedly for 10 minutes,” O’Brien wrote on Twitter.
“It was the nerviest, funniest thing I had seen. So sorry to lose this sweet and delightfully funny man.”
RIP Gilbert. Opening for Gilbert Gottfried at Carolines and Princeton Catch was one of the great thrills of my early stand up life. He could leave you gasping for breath…just indescribably unusually hilarious…Damn.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) April 12, 2022
Jon Stewart said opening for Gottfried was “one of the great thrills of my early stand-up life.” He added that Gilbert “could leave you gasping for breath…just indescribably unusually hilarious…Damn.”
Jeff Ross paid tribute to “wonderful pal” and “great dad” in a heartfelt post on Instagram, saying “nobody made me laugh so hard.”
“Nobody made me laugh so hard. He was a wonderful pal and a great dad.”
“I got to say goodbye to Gil last night,” the “Roastmaster General” wrote on Instagram. “He went quietly (surprising, I know) in his sleep from a rare muscle disease that’s been bugging him for awhile. He handled it all like a champ – performing until the end.”
“Nobody made me laugh so hard. He was a wonderful pal and a great dad to young Max and Lily. My heart goes out to Dara who took such great care of him,” he added.
Marc Maron applauded Gottfried for being “truly original” and “one of a kind.”
It’s so rare to be truly original, one of a kind. We lost one yesterday. RIP Gilbert Gottfried. Here’s our talk from 2012. https://t.co/oWOyaQQGuF pic.twitter.com/05oNCwEYFF
— marc maron (@marcmaron) April 13, 2022
“For almost 40 years his spectacular comedy blew me away,” wrote comic Richard Lewis. “You can’t be funnier.”
Soon after hearing of Gottfried’s tragic passing, Bill Burr recalled the first time he saw him live.
“Rest In Peace Gilbert Gottfried! First time I saw him live he did his Jackie Kennedy bit: ‘Jackie do you remember where you were…’ in front of drunk Bruins fans at Nicks. #RIPGilbertGottfried,” Burr wrote.
“Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily,” Seinfeld star Jason Alexander wrote. “What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family.”
Comic Tom Green referred to Gottfried as a “genius comic, artist, and provocateur.” In his tribute, he added, “Comedy mourns tonight.”
“Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh so hard that day on set, I could barely do my job,” Seth MacFarlane wrote on Twitter. “A wholly original comic, and an equally kind and humble guy behind the scenes. He will be missed.”
Gottfried is survived by his wife Dara, sister Karen, daughter Lily, 14, and son Max, 12.
Bob Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo, also penned a poignant tribute to the funnyman, highlighting the “special friendship” he and Saget shared.
“Bob loved Gilbert so dearly, they had a special friendship,” she wrote on Twitter.
Rizzo shared a screenshot from an Instagram post that featured Saget with Gottfried, Norm McDonald, and Jeffrey Ross sitting together at a table. The screenshot was from Gottfried’s official Instagram, which he posted back in 2020.
“And sending my love to my wonderful friend Jeff as Gilbert’s loss is beyond painful for him,” the food and travel blogger continued. “Thinking of Dara his amazing & strong wife right now. Much love & support to his family.”
“Bob loved Gilbert so dearly, they had a special friendship.”
The funnyman’s death is the latest premature passing to hit the comedy world in the last seven months. His passing comes hot on the heels of Norm Macdonald, who died aged 61 in September 2021.
Rizzo’s husband and beloved comedian Saget died aged 65 in January, along with Louie Anderson who died at the age of 68 later that month.
Still in shock. I just spoke with Bob a few days ago. We stayed on the phone as usual making each other laugh. RIP to friend, comedian & fellow Aristocrat Bob Saget. pic.twitter.com/TDKT8JoULq
— Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert) January 10, 2022
Saget and Gottfried had a longstanding friendship and often crossed paths in the comedy world. In August, Gottfried appeared on Saget’s podcast, Bob Saget’s Here For You.
Gottfried penned a heartfelt tribute on Instagram about Saget after the Full House star’s untimely death in January.
“Still in shock. I just spoke with Bob a few days ago,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “We stayed on the phone as usual making each other laugh. RIP to friend, comedian & fellow Aristocrat Bob Saget.”
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