Gilbert Gottfried Remembered by Amy Schumer, Jason Alexander and More: 'Always Friendly'

Brad Barket/Getty Gilbert Gottfried

Hollywood is remembering longtime comedian and voice actor Gilbert Gottfried after news of his death at 67.

The star's "heartbroken" family announced on his Twitter Tuesday that Gottfried died "after a long illness." He "was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children," they said in the statement, adding, "Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor."

Gottfried's longtime friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz told PEOPLE in a statement, "Beloved and iconic comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at 2:35 p.m. ET on April 12, 2022, from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II."

He is survived by his wife Dara, 14-year-old daughter Lily and 12-year-old son Max.

Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander appeared to be one of the first stars to react to news of the comedian's death, tweeting, "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."

Tiffany Haddish tweeted, "This is a sad day." Kathy Griffin tweeted, "Oh no! Gilbert," and included broken heart emojis, while Amy Schumer wrote on her Instagram Story, "Gilbert was so sweet. Genuinely kind and a legend."

George Takei wrote, "I shall miss you, my friend, my sometimes foil, my always pain in my side, usually from the belly laughs. The heavens are a great deal louder with you out there now, I'm sure. Keep 'em shaking their heads and smiling, Gilbert."

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In a statement to PEOPLE, Penn Jillette, known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller, said: "Gilbert was my friend for 35 years. He was funniest person of our lifetime. Being around him when he was improvising was like being around miles Davis, Picasso or Stravinsky. A weird little miracle who will never be replaced. We will miss him so much."

Dane Cook said in a tweet, "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."

Jennifer Tilly recalled working with Gottfried on the 1999 movie Goosed: "Rip Gilbert Gottfried, a brilliant comedian and just the sweetest guy. We worked together on 'Goosed.' Everybody adored him."

Bill Burr wrote on Twitter, "Rest In Peace Gilbert Gottfried! First time I saw him live he did his Jackie Kennedy bit: 'Jackie do you remember where you were…' in front of drunk Bruins fans at Nicks. #RIPGilbertGottfried." Jon Stewart added in a tweet, "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…Damn."

Marlee Matlin tweeted that she is "so sad to read about the passing of Gilbert Gottfried," and added, "Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside. We met many times; he even pranked me on a plane, replacing my intepreter @655jack (they're like twins). Sending love to Dara & his children. RIP #gilbertgottfried." (Back in 2011, Gottfried stood in as Matlin's "interpreter" during the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump.)

Known for his work in comedy films and as Iago in Disney's 1992 classic Aladdin, Gottfried was instantly recognizable for his voice.

A standup comic with a podcast called Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast!, Gottfried was also known for his work on the popular PBS Kids show Cyberchase. His notable movies include Look Who's Talking Too, Problem Child and Beverly Hills Cop II. He was also the focus of the 2017 documentary film Gilbert, about his prolific life and career.