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Marlee Matlin Pays Tribute To One-Time Interpreter Gilbert Gottfried

Home / Stars / Marlee Matlin Pays Tribute To One-Time Interpreter Gilbert Gottfried

By Kristin Myers on April 12, 2022 at 6:45 PM EDT
Updated on April 17, 2022 at 12:12 PM EDT

On Tuesday, April 12, comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away.

His family posted a statement to his Instagram account, 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.”

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Gilbert Gottfried's family announced his cause of death
Instagram / realgilbert
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The "Aladdin" voice actor leaves behind his wife, Dara Kravitz, a daughter named Lily, and a son named Max. Many took to social media to pay tribute to the late voice actor, including Deaf Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin.

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Marlee Matlin Remembers 'Softie' Gilbert Gottfried

The "Children of a Lesser God" actress tweeted, "I am so sad to read about the passing of Gilbert Gottfried. Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside. We met many times; he even pranked me on a plane, replacing my interpreter @655jack(they're like twins). Sending love to Dara & his children. RIP."

That isn't the only time that Gottfried replaced Matlin's longtime interpreter, Jack Jason. Jack has been a producing partner and her longtime American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter since 1985. Jason is a CODA himself, a Child of Deaf Adults, and was born to Deaf parents.

During the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump, Gottfried replaced Jason as his interpreter and proceeded to "interpret" for Matlin with hilarious results. The video can be seen below at the 17:08 mark.

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Many fans remembered the roast well.

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"One of my favorite roast moments of all time," one user commented. "You telling him to not be so loud will always make me laugh."

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Another commented, "This sketch you did with him is one of my faaaaave things. So sad to hear of his passing 😞"

GILBERT GOTTFRIED PERFORMS FIRST OF THREE SHOWS IN VANCOUVER'S
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"They also told the same hilarious jokes," another commented. "When I met Mr Gottfried I met a very humble and respectful man. I am very sad again. Comedians are my favorite people. Sorry for loss of a person that brought laughter to many generations. Goodnight Iago."

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Jack Jason Also Pays Tribute To The Late Gilbert Gottfried

Jack Jason also took to Twitter to share his condolences for the passing of the late comedy legend. He tweeted, "D---. RIP #gilbertgottfried. You were a LOT of fun to hang out with. Sending love to Dara and your kids. PS I'm sure you'd make the best joke out of your passing. Wish you were here to deliver it."

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In another video, Jack called him "the best mirror ever." Many more comedians took to social media in order to express condolences for his passing.

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Kathy Griffin tweeted, "Gilbert would be the first one to make a joke about this picture today. The first. And he would not hold back."

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Dane Cook tweeted, "Sending love to @RealGilbert’s wife Dara, his family & fans. Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny. He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy."

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Conan O'Brien tweeted, "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 ten full minutes. It was the nerviest, funniest thing I had seen. So sorry to lose this sweet and delightfully funny man."

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Mark Hamill tweeted, "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."

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"Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander tweeted, "Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. 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. #ripGilbertGottfried"

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Former "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart tweeted, "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…D---."

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