Actor and comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at the age of 67 yesterday.
His family shared the news from Gottfried’s Twitter account, confirming his passing after a battle with “a long illness.” Gottfried’s career spanned over 40 years, with him being known for his standup comedy, in addition to his many roles as an actor. He also voiced the iconic Iago from Disney’s Aladdin, and yesterday, actors from Broadway did something special for Gottfried.
The cast of Aladdin on Broadway dedicated their performance to Gilbert Gottfried on Tuesday night.
After the curtain call, the actor who plays Iago on Broadway — Don Darryl Rivera — spoke to the audience saying “Tonight, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the life of a comedy legend. A funny man with an indelible voice. The man who breathed life into Iago for the animated film, Mr Gilbert Gottfried,” according to Deadline.
“I along with five other actors worldwide have the distinct privilege to bring Iago to life on stage and I think one of the main reasons this character is who he is, is because of what Gilbert brought to the animated film: his comedy and that voice,” said Rivera.
Rivera went on to speak about his personal experience with Gottfried, including the time the Gottfried signed Rivera’s VHS copy of Aladdin. Gottfried not only played Iago in the original Aladdin film, but also reprised the role in the Aladdin sequel, the animated series, and other projects.
The dedication ended with Rivera saying “On behalf of the entire company here at Aladdin, Mr Gilbert Gottfried: Thank you for the laughs.” You can watch the full video of the dedication below:
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