Gilbert Gottfried was a prominent American stand-up comedian and actor, instantly recognizable for his distinctively shrill voice and thick New York accent. His comedic style was characterized by an edgy and often controversial approach, frequently pushing boundaries. Beyond stand-up, Gottfried enjoyed a successful career in film and television. He notably voiced the parrot Iago in Disney's "Aladdin" movies, as well as characters in "Superman: The Animated Series," "Justice League Action," "Cyberchase," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." He also played Mr. Peabody in the "Problem Child" films and was the voice of the Aflac duck in commercials.
1950: Birth of Arlene Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried's sister, Arlene Gottfried, a photographer, was born in 1950.
February 28, 1955: Birth of Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 28, 1955.
1957: Inspiration for Podcast Title
The title "Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast" is a reference to the 1957 film "The Amazing Colossal Man".
1980: Gilbert Gottfried Joins Saturday Night Live
Gilbert Gottfried joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1980 for its sixth season.
1983: Gilbert Gottfried on "Thicke of the Night"
Gilbert Gottfried regularly performed on "Thicke of the Night" from 1983 to 1984.
1984: End of "Thicke of the Night" Appearances
Gilbert Gottfried's run on "Thicke of the Night" concluded in 1984.
April 1987: Gilbert Gottfried's Cinemax Comedy Special
Gilbert Gottfried's half-hour comedy special aired on Cinemax in April 1987.
1989: Gilbert Gottfried Hosts "USA Up All Night"
Gilbert Gottfried began hosting the Saturday edition of "USA Up All Night" in 1989.
1990: Gilbert Gottfried in "Problem Child"
Gilbert Gottfried was cast as Igor Peabody in "Problem Child" in 1990.
1991: Gilbert Gottfried in "Problem Child 2"
Gilbert Gottfried reprised his role as Igor Peabody in "Problem Child 2" in 1991.
1992: Gilbert Gottfried as Iago in "Aladdin"
Gilbert Gottfried voiced Iago in Disney's "Aladdin" in 1992.
1992: Gottfried's Appendicitis
In 1992, Gilbert Gottfried underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis.
1994: Gilbert Gottfried in "Thumbelina"
Gilbert Gottfried voiced Berkeley Beetle in the film "Thumbelina" in 1994.
1997: Gottfried Meets Dara Kravitz
Gilbert Gottfried met his future wife, Dara Kravitz, at a Grammy Awards party in late 1997.
1998: End of "USA Up All Night"
Gilbert Gottfried's run as host of "USA Up All Night" ended in 1998.
October 1, 1999: The "You Fool!" Episode of Hollywood Squares
A bizarre episode of Hollywood Squares aired on October 1, 1999, which featured nine consecutive incorrect guesses by contestants, leading to Gottfried's temporary firing and subsequent return.
2004: Gilbert Gottfried on "Shorties Watchin' Shorties"
Comedy Central featured Gilbert Gottfried's stand-up material on "Shorties Watchin' Shorties" in 2004.
2005: Gottfried's 9/11 Joke and "The Aristocrats"
In 2005, Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza included Gilbert Gottfried's controversial 9/11 joke from a Friars Club roast in their film "The Aristocrats".
2006: Gilbert Gottfried on "World's Unsexiest Men" List
Gilbert Gottfried topped the Boston Phoenix's list of the "World's 100 Unsexiest Men" in 2006.
June 12, 2007: Gottfried's Daughter Lily is Born
Gilbert Gottfried's daughter, Lily, was born on June 12, 2007.
September 3, 2007: Gottfried Marries Dara Kravitz
Gilbert Gottfried married Dara Kravitz on September 3, 2007.
2007: Daytime Emmy Nomination
In 2007, Gilbert Gottfried was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches – Daytime Children's.
January 2009: Gilbert Gottfried on "Star-ving"
Gilbert Gottfried appeared on an episode of David Faustino's show "Star-ving" in January 2009.
May 18, 2009: Gottfried's Son Max is Born
Gilbert Gottfried's son, Max, was born on May 18, 2009.
March 14, 2011: Gottfried Fired by Aflac
On March 14, 2011, Gilbert Gottfried was fired by Aflac for his jokes about the Japan earthquake disaster.
2011: Gilbert Gottfried Replaced as Aflac Duck
Gilbert Gottfried was replaced by Daniel McKeague as the voice of the Aflac duck in 2011.
2011: Publication of "Rubber Balls and Liquor"
Gilbert Gottfried published his book "Rubber Balls and Liquor" in 2011.
2011: Gilbert Gottfried on "Law & Order: SVU"
Gilbert Gottfried appeared in the "Lost Traveller" episode of "Law & Order: SVU" in 2011.
June 2012: Gilbert Gottfried Reads "Fifty Shades of Grey"
Gilbert Gottfried read a section from "Fifty Shades of Grey" in a YouTube video in June 2012.
July 2012: Gottfried on Comedy and Tragedy
In July 2012, Gilbert Gottfried wrote a CNN op-ed discussing the relationship between comedy and tragedy.
2013: Gilbert Gottfried on "Celebrity Wife Swap"
Gilbert Gottfried participated in "Celebrity Wife Swap," swapping wives with Alan Thicke, in 2013.
May 28, 2014: Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast Premieres
On May 28, 2014, Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast premiered on Sideshow Network. Co-hosted by Frank Santopadre, the podcast featured interviews with Hollywood legends and behind-the-scenes talents who influenced Gottfried's comedy.
June 1, 2014: "Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast" Launches
Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, co-hosted by Frank Santopadre and with Gottfried's wife Dara as executive producer, officially launched on June 1, 2014.
2014: Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast Begins
Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, co-hosted with Frank Santopadre, started in 2014.
2015: Podcast Introduces Mini-Episodes
In 2015, Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast introduced shorter mini-episodes, later rebranded as "Amazing Colossal Obsessions".
2016: Gottfried in "Abnormal Attraction" and "Celebrity Apprentice"
In 2016, Gilbert Gottfried appeared as the "Pig Man" in the film "Abnormal Attraction" and was a contestant on the fourteenth season of "The Celebrity Apprentice".
2017: Death of Arlene Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried's sister, Arlene Gottfried, passed away in 2017.
2017: Gottfried Appears in "Episodes"
In 2017, Gilbert Gottfried made a cameo appearance as himself in the TV show "Episodes".
2017: Release of Documentary "Gilbert"
The documentary "Gilbert," exploring Gottfried's life and career, was released in 2017.
June 10, 2018: Gottfried on "Last Week Tonight"
On June 10, 2018, Gilbert Gottfried appeared on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver", reading Yelp reviews for UK viewers.
November 18, 2018: Gottfried Returns to "Last Week Tonight"
On November 18, 2018, Gilbert Gottfried returned to "Last Week Tonight" for the show's season finale, reading extracts from the Brexit agreement for UK viewers.
July 31, 2019: Gottfried Guests on Angry Video Game Nerd
On July 31, 2019, Gilbert Gottfried appeared as a guest on episode 170 of the Angry Video Game Nerd.
2019: Iago Recast in "Aladdin" Remake
The role of Iago was recast to Alan Tudyk for the 2019 live-action remake of "Aladdin."
January 10, 2022: Gottfried Voices God in "Smiling Friends"
On January 10, 2022, Gilbert Gottfried guest-starred as God in the penultimate episode of "Smiling Friends" Season 1.
April 12, 2022: Death of Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried passed away on April 12, 2022.
May 2, 2022: Gilbert Gottfried's Final Podcast Recording
On May 2, 2022, Gilbert Gottfried recorded the final episode of his podcast with guest Brenda Vaccaro. He was hospitalized just hours after the recording.
October 18, 2022: Gottfried Appears in "Somebody Feed Phil" and "The Paloni Show!"
On October 18, 2022, Gilbert Gottfried appeared in "Somebody Feed Phil" and "The Paloni Show! Halloween Special".
2022: Podcast Continues After Gottfried's Death
Following Gilbert Gottfried's death in 2022, his podcast continued by re-uploading older episodes in his honor.
2022: Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast Ends
Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast ended in 2022.
2022: Gottfried Honored at Ebertfest and Inducted into Hall of Fame
In 2022, Ebertfest was dedicated to Gilbert Gottfried's memory, and he was posthumously inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.
2022: Gottfried Named Top Jewish Reality TV Star
In 2022, the Jewish Journal named Gilbert Gottfried one of the "Top 10 Jewish Reality TV Stars of All Time".
April 2023: Gottfried's Posthumous Role in "Royal Crackers"
In April 2023, Gilbert Gottfried made a posthumous appearance in the second episode of Adult Swim's "Royal Crackers".
2023: Gilbert Gottfried's Posthumous Roles and Dedications
In 2023, following Gilbert Gottfried's passing, several of his voice roles were recast. Dana Snyder replaced him as Mister Mxyzptlk in Justice League: Cosmic Chaos (which was dedicated to Gottfried), Ron Pardo took over as Digit in Cyberchase, Barrett Leddy voiced Iago in Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest, and Piotr Michael voiced Iago in Once Upon a Studio. Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match also featured Gottfried's voice as David Doubdly and was dedicated to him.