Comedian Gilbert Gottfried of Aladdin fame and who undoubtedly has one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood has died at the age of 67 after battling a long illness. His family came forward on Tuesday (April 12) to announce this devastating news. His publicist told the Washington Post that he died due to myotonic dystrophy type 2, a form of muscular dystrophy, that affects muscles and many other organs in the body causing progressive muscle wasting and weakness.

His family took to his Twitter handle to make the announcement official by sharing a picture of him along with a message which read, “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor. Love, the Gottfried family"

Many people in Hollywood, including the likes of comedians Jason Alexander, Dane Cook, and stars Amy Schumer, Mark Hamill and Seth MacFarlane paid tribute to the one-of-a-kind US comic and actor. After receiving the shocking news of his death, Dane Cook wrote, “Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny. He was a lovely guy, always friendly and made many people happy”. Actress Amy Schumer posted, "Gilbert was so sweet. Genuinely kind, a legend". Stars Wars star Hamill shared, "He was a unique voice in comedy on so many levels. Unpredictable, one-of-a-kind, hilarious & irreplaceable! Thank you for the lifetime of laughs, sir".

Gottfried was known for his crude humor, political incorrectness, and shrill voice, which helped give life to a number of animated characters, such as Lago the parrot in Disney's 1992 animated film Aladdin, the robotic bird Digit in PBS Kids Cyberchase, and the Aflac duck in commercials for the insurance company. He also appeared in films like Problem Child, Look Who's Talking Too, and Beverly Hills Cop 2. In the 2000s and 2010s, Gottfried became a regular on celebrity roasts and game shows. He appeared in Comedy Central roasts of Bob Saget, Joan Rivers, David Hasselhoff, Donald Trump and Roseanne Barr where he delivered some of the most brutal roasts seen on television.