Gilbert Gottfried, The King Of Inappropriate Laughs
Most people might not recognize his name, but almost everyone can pick out Gilbert Gottfried’s unmistakable, grating, nasal voice. And while he kept his comedy sharp and his fans laughing until the very end, his life and career were even more bizarre than the wildest jokes he ever told.
1. He Made It There Early
Born in the Big Apple in the mid 1950’s, perhaps Gottfried was meant for greatness all along. Even growing up in New York City, though, he likely didn’t know that himself. Gottfried grew up in a modest, middle class Jewish family. But he did show signs of greatness early, which quite possibly had to do with a certain kindred spirit in the family…
Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2. He Grew Up Different
Gottfried’s older sister, Arlene, turned out to be quite a bit of an offbeat thinker. She grew up interested in photography, with a bend toward capturing the unusual, while Gottfried himself grew up more interested in entertaining. With their environment primed for originality and expression, Gottfried often put on performances for his family, which they loved. They loved them so much that they pushed him to take a huge leap of faith.
3. They Put Him On Display
Encouraged by his sisters, Gottfried hit the stage for the very first time at the age of 15. He performed his first comedy routine at a nightclub in Manhattan. At the time, his act mostly featured celebrity impersonations. They must have been incredibly spot on, considering what happened next.
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4. They Loved Him
The audiences adored him. They liked him so much, in fact, that he started picking up gigs around the city. Fans started to call him the “comedian’s comedian,” which likely categorized him as a comic with a very classic style. However, Gottfried didn’t stick to his impressions for too long. And when he changed paths, he went in an extremely shocking direction.
Kingkongphoto, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Got Down And Dirty
After a short stint doing his more traditional comedy, Gottfried started getting bored with his own material. His solution? To start telling the filthiest jokes he could manage to get away with—and eventually even ones he couldn’t get away with. But more on that later. With dirty jokes now a staple of his act, things definitely got worse before they got better.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
6. He Horrified Them
Gottfried struggled with his new, raunchier material early on—partly because he didn’t always have the right audience. In one memorable instance of his early years, he did an opening routine for a female rock singer. The audience, filled to the brim with mothers and their teenaged daughters, didn’t find him all that funny. But that turned out to be the least of his worries.
Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. They Let Him Go
Looking back at that episode, Gottfried noted that his agent at the time paid him a call the very next day—and fired him. All things considered, a more risk averse man might have returned to their old material, but it didn’t phase Gottfried. Or maybe he got his next lucky break just in time to keep doing things his way…
Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Got Discovered
In 1980, a Saturday Night Live producer caught wind of Gottfried and his offbeat comedy act. The timing turned out to be providential. The show had just started making major cast changes, and they found a spot for Gottfried in the upcoming season. But while landing a spot on SNL seems like a comic’s dream, for Gottfried—it turned into an absolute nightmare.
9. They Timed It Wrong
What Gottfried didn’t realize then was that his time on SNL was doomed from the very beginning. To start, the show’s fans didn’t like the idea of the entire thing being recast. Thus, Gottfried and the other new comics faced a pretty tough crowd right off the top. But that proved only the beginning of the end.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
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10. They Didn’t Want Him
Though they officially hired him after his very charismatic audition, they never really let him do his own style of comedy on the show—including the nasal voice and squinty eyes that eventually became essential to his brand. Maybe they didn’t think his dirty act fit with their show, or perhaps something more insidious was afoot.
NBC, Saturday Night Live (1975-)
11. They Couldn’t Stand Him
Reportedly, Gottfried just didn’t get along with several people over at SNL. More specifically, he didn’t get along with the writers. So, instead of using his style to their advantage, they stuck him with more traditional roles and impersonations. In one instance, though, it seems they took their dislike of him just a little bit too far.
NBC, Saturday Night Live (1975-)
12. They Ended Him
According to Gottfried, the writers hated him so much that they once created a sketch that featured him as a literal corpse. Granted, that’s his personal take on things, and very possibly not why the writers wrote him into a casket. Either way, his life at SNL didn’t last too long. And, in fact, it ended with a bit of an unexpected twist…
NBC, Saturday Night Live (1975-)
13. They Didn’t Tell Him
If you believe Gottfried’s version of events, he turned out to be one of the last to know he wouldn't return to SNL. In an interview, he recounted getting a fan letter from a teenage girl who tried to console him for losing his spot before SNL even actually fired him. Whether that holds true or not, he’d already caught the eye of the next stop on his journey to the top.
NBC, Saturday Night Live (1975-)
14. He Got Another Chance
Gottfried got a second chance at television not too long after being ousted from SNL. This time, MTV came knocking, booking him for a series of promos. He finally got to improvise, showing his real comedic style. Though the promos made for very short airtime, they turned out to be a hit. So much of a hit, in fact, that he caught the eye of one very well established comedic giant.
NBC, Saturday Night Live (1975-)
15. He Got A Hand Up
Bill Cosby discovered Gottfried through these promos, and quickly became a fan of his work. So much so, that he hired him for a recurring role on one of tv’s biggest shows at the time, The Cosby Show. With that solid step into the world of television, Gottfried seemingly proved he had much more to give than anyone imagined—and it changed his life forever.
Carsey-Werner Company, The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
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16. He Hit His Stride
Gottfried’s career took off after his time with Cosby. He appeared in multiple television shows and films throughout the 1980s, including Thicke of the Night, The Howard Stern Show, and Beverly Hills Cop II. He leaned into his own personal style, perfecting the nasal tone and squinty eyed character many are familiar with today. But, of course, there’s no totally smooth course to success. In Gottfried’s case, though, I’d say he definitely brought his problems on himself…
Carsey-Werner Company, The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
17. He Got His Spotlight
In 1991, the Emmy Awards selected Gottfried to present one of the awards. In the land of film and tv, this shows that the screen community likely considered him a Hollywood staple. And even though he didn’t receive an award that night, presenting one held its own prestige. Or it did, until Gottfried actually did it.
Gilbert Gottfried presenting at the 1991 Emmys., adam podlofsky
18. He Went Rogue
When Gottfried went up to present the award, the audience—in the studio and at home—definitely expected a couple of jokes, probably even a few raunchy ones. But he gave them much more than they expected. It started with a reference to an incident regarding another comedian, Paul Reuben. And considering the details of said incident, Gottfried really should have known not to bring it up at all.
Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
19. He Did Too Much
Just a short period before the Emmys show, authorities took Reuben in for touching his, you know, in a public place. Gottfried started off his presentation insinuating himself to be just as guilty of that type of activity, and continued to harp on it for the entire minute and a half duration of his time. As you can probably guess, it didn’t go over well.
Gilbert Gottfried presenting at the 1991 Emmys., adam podlofsky
20. They Spazzed
Fox, the network airing the Emmys live, struggled to reign things in. Unfortunately for them, they only managed to censor the showing for a portion of their viewers. The backlash came immediately, with Fox insisting they’d never put Gottfried on air again. And while that’s only one network he’d directly lost, more trouble loomed on the horizon.
Gilbert Gottfried presenting at the 1991 Emmys., adam podlofsky
21. They Cut Him Off
According to a Rolling Stone article, the industry basically blacklisted Gottfried after his Emmy’s tirade. A blacklisted star typically loses both endorsements and opportunity to work. In short, no big studios or producers wanted to associate with anyone that might affect their bottom line. Except, things with Gottfried didn’t quite go like anyone expected.
NBC, Saturday Night Live (1975-)
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22. He Kept On Kicking
Despite all the alleged outrage surrounding the incident, Gottfried kept right on working. And, interestingly enough, he actually became a popular selection for voicing characters in children’s content. He voiced roles in the Aladdin films, House of Mouse, and even Thumbelina. But if you thought he’d learned his lesson about going off script, you thought wrong.
23. He Did His Own Thing
In the late 1990s, Gottfried often appeared on the show Hollywood Squares. The classic game show featured celebrities playing a type of tic-tac-toe style game, where they each received the opportunity to slip in their jokes prior to answering questions. Gottfried was a popular guest, but on one specific episode, he took things way too far.
Michael Levitt Productions, Hollywood Squares (1998–2004)
24. He Blew It
During a typical run of the show in October 1999, several of the guests gave wrong answers in a row. In response, one of the contestants yelled “You fool!” Gottfried got a kick out of it, and started inserting the declaration “You fool!” into the episode at every chance he got. The other stars picked up the joke and joined in. Honestly, that sounds pretty hilarious to me, but the show’s execs certainly did not find it amusing.
Michael Levitt Productions, Hollywood Squares (1998–2004)
25. He Ruined Everything
The Gottfried inspired chaos upended the format of the show. Instead of playing multiple rounds in the half hour as they usually did, they only completed one round of the game. The show’s executives raged. They officially fired him from the show after the incident. But, as you can probably guess by his pattern so far, that didn’t last too long.
Michael Levitt Productions, Hollywood Squares (1998–2004)
26. He Couldn’t Lose
Gottfried returned to Hollywood Squares a month after they fired him. It seems that, despite his tendency to do his own thing at any time, audiences still loved what he brought to the table. He continued his career ascent, voicing even more roles and landing a regular gig as the voice of the duck in the Aflac commercials. Things in his personal life started looking up as well.
Michael Levitt Productions, Hollywood Squares (1998–2004)
27. He Met His Match
Around the time of the Hollywood Squares incident, Gottfried first met producer Dara Kravitz. While most of the details of their romance remain private, Kravitz's socials showcase her own sense of humor, which proved an excellent fit for Gottfried. The two dated for several years and married in 2007, but not before Gottfried got himself into a little more trouble.
Michael Levitt Productions, Hollywood Squares (1998–2004)
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28. He Made The List
Now a certified star, Gottfried attended a Hugh Hefner roast in September 2001. Just about every American of a certain age thinks of one thing when they think of that time in history—the notorious 9/11 tragedy. And, in fact, this event took place just weeks after the devastating event. That considered, what do you think Gottfried decided to joke about?
Comedy Central, The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner (2001)
29. He Crossed The Line
Of course, Gottfried just had to slip in a joke about the tragedy. He said he meant to get on a flight, but couldn’t because “they said they have to stop at the Empire State Building First”. The crowd reacted immediately, booing and yelling “Too Soon!” And honestly, considering that authorities were probably still searching for survivors at that point, I have to agree. Gottfried, however, didn’t seem to care at all.
Comedy Central, The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner (2001)
30. He Leaned In
Rather than pulling back on those types of jokes, Gottfried leaned in even harder. Looking back on his 9/11 joke, he remembered the crowds’ shocked reactions, and his own decision to go even harder. By his own account, he figured “Why not go into a lower level of hell?” And when he landed a spot in a comedy centered documentary, he got the chance to do just that.
Comedy Central, The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner (2001)
31. He Went There
The 2005 documentary comedy film, The Aristocrats, aired Gottfried’s 9/11 spiel without censoring. Considering the rated R content, you’ll need to check out the movie yourself for the details. The film did pretty well, even though AMC banned it from playing at their theatres. And with Gottfried never having to pay for any of his supposed transgressions, he continued right along making them.
Funnyordie.com, Funny or Die Presents... (2007-)
32. He Took It All The Way
After the film, Gottfried got the chance to take his very borderline jokes even further with a video feature hosted by Funny or Die. In this feature, he explicitly told jokes about tragic historical events. The feature did well enough, and I imagine Gottfried felt invincible by that point. But all good things come to an end, and eventually, Gottfried’s chickens came back to roost. Or more specifically, his ducks did…
Funnyordie.com, Funny or Die Presents... (2007-)
33. He Went Too Far
On March 11, 2011, a destructive earthquake rocked Japan. The six minute earthquake resulted in a major tsunami, further devastating the country. People around the world watched with horror as the fatalities and damage rose exponentially with no signs of stopping. And what did Gottfried do just three days later? He got on Twitter to joke about it.
Funnyordie.com, Funny or Die Presents... (2007-)
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34. He Ramped Things Up
In several tweets, Gottfried issued a long series of jokes about the national disaster. His rant included jokes like, “I split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, ‘They'll be another one floating by any minute now’”. Now, considering Gottfried’s dedicated fanbase, someone definitely found it funny. But some far more important people did not.
Funnyordie.com, Funny or Die Presents... (2007-)
35. Things Got Away From Him
While Gottfried got busy with his Twitter fingers, he neglected to consider the possible reactions of his long time employer, Aflac. Or perhaps he didn’t realize one major fact—that Aflac did the majority of their business in the very country Gottfried threw under the bus with his tweets. Perhaps Gottfried just didn’t think twice because of what he’d gotten away with already. This time, though, he found himself in some seriously hot water.
Funnyordie.com, Funny or Die Presents... (2007-)
36. They Dropped Him
Aflac reacted promptly to Gottfried’s jokes. They not only issued a public apology, but they immediately dropped him and posted a nationwide casting call for his replacement. Even so, Gottfried himself didn’t seem too moved, though he did issue a public apology as well. Perhaps he had other, more personal issues to attend to.
Funnyordie.com, Funny or Die Presents... (2007-)
37. He Stayed Close
By all accounts, Gottfried managed to stay close to his family throughout all the ups and downs of his controversial career. He maintained a strong relationship with his sisters, and went on to have two children with his wife. It seems that, despite his lewd public persona, he kept his family close and taken care of. Which is why one unexpected tragedy probably rocked him to his core.
38. She Withered
In the 2000’s, doctors diagnosed Gottfried’s older sister, Arlene, with cancer. As her health began to wane, Gottfried took it upon himself to attend to her directly, ensuring he visited her often and did everything he could to help. Maybe that explains one of the very few times he found himself at a loss for words.
39. She Left Him
Arlene passed on August 8, 2017. Her friends, family, and fans mourned her publicly. But, somewhat surprisingly, Gottfried did not. Although he was mostly a very avid social media user, he declined to make any comment about her death online—which seems to speak to the very depths of his grief. But as it turns out, he was struggling with even more intimate issues at the time.
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40. He Kept His Secrets
Unknown to his many, many fans, Gottfried suffered with an illness for many of his later years. Although the exact timing remains undercover, doctors diagnosed him with a type of muscular dystrophy, which affected him in increasing amounts as he aged. But even with his physical limitations, Gottfried showed no signs of stopping—or changing his trademark style of dirty jokes.
41. He Kept Going
Somehow, Gottfried escaped the controversies of his career mostly unscathed. And while he did lose his spot with Aflac, he continued to make his mark on screen. In the later 2000s and 2010s, he appeared in several television series, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Family Guy, and even Hannah Montana. And as if that wasn’t enough success for him, he went on to find a way to dominate in a rising corner of the media.
42. He Got His Own Show
In 2014, Gottfried launched Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast with another comedian, Frank Santopadre. The show did well, attracting comedy fans to listen to Gottfried as he interviewed other comedians, inserting his own jokes any and everywhere that it made sense to. At this point, you must be wondering how Gottfried got away with his career blunders for so long. Well, according to some critics, it all came down to Gottfried’s unusual choices.
43. He Did Things Differently
Critics cite Gottfried’s originality as the key to his success. Even though he started out his career as a “comedian’s comedian”, he quickly developed his own style. As one critic noted in an article of the Dallas Observer, he didn’t just tell jokes, he joked about his jokes. Even so, though, I’d argue he’s even more well known for something many people don’t realize he totally made up.
44. He Put On A Show
Gottfried’s voice, the very exaggerated, borderline annoying voice of the villain’s parrot sidekick in Aladdin, may be even more famous than the man himself. And while he used it so often some thought it was his natural voice, he actually created the persona. As such, he managed to be both a super dirty stand up comedian and a common voice in children's entertainment—quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself. His originality and fresh persona probably paired with one other little known fact to keep his career steady.
45. He Pinched Pennies
Many people don’t know that, despite the great wealth he amassed during his lifetime, Gottfried maintained a very lowkey lifestyle. Reportedly, he was so money conscious that he continued to take public transportation to avoid paying expensive taxi fare. And yet, even with his success and frugal ways, he kept working to the very end.
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46. He Put In The Work
In 2022, Gottfried recorded an episode of his podcast with award winning American actress Brenda Vaccaro. Just a few hours after wrapping the episode, he ended up in the hospital with heart complications related to his long term disease. This time, there turned out to be no escape for him…
Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Went Down Swinging
Gottfried passed at the hospital on April 12, 2022. His family and friends buried him two days later. Several celebrities showed up to celebrate his life and mourn his passing, including Jeff Ross, Mario Cantone, and Paul Shaffer. As they laid him to rest, they made sure to do it with one more witty remark that I truly feel Gottfried would have loved.
48. They Kept on Laughing
Gottfried’s family buried him in a cemetery in Valhalla, New York. On his grave marker, they placed the statement “Too Soon”. This served as a double entendre, alluding both to his controversial 9/11 joke, as well as to his fans’ consensus that he’d passed too soon. Luckily for them, however, Gottfried’s physical end wouldn’t be the last time they heard from him.
49. He Kept On Working
As he’d been working right until his last few days on earth, content featuring Gottfried continued to appear after he passed. This includes a role on Royal Crackers which aired a year after his passing, as well as podcast episodes that he’d completed prior to the end of his life. Not surprisingly, though, that proved just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the legacy he left behind.
50. He Lives On
Gottfried received several honors after his passing. This includes an entry into the Monster Kid Hall of Game, as well as a festival and video game dedicated to his memory. All things considered, Gottfried definitely had his controversial moments, but they all worked together with his comedic genius to leave an indelible mark on the work of entertainment. He shows that, in some cases, it does pay to be just a little bad.
Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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