Entertainment Movies Gilbert Gottfried, 'Aladdin' Voice Actor and Comedian, Dead at 67 'After a Long Illness' Gilbert Gottfried's family announced his death "after a long illness" on Tuesday By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines and Dave Quinn Dave Quinn Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 12, 2022 03:40PM EDT Gilbert Gottfried has died. He was 67 years old. The actor and comedian's family announced the sad news on his official Twitter account Tuesday, alongside a photo of Gottfried. "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," the family said. "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," they added. Gottfried's longtime friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz tells PEOPLE in an official 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." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. RELATED GALLERY: Celebrities Who Died in 2022 Known for his work in comedy films and as Iago in Disney's 1992 classic Aladdin, Gottfried was instantly recognizable for his over-the-top, exaggerated voice. For more on Gilbert Gottfried, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. A standup comic with a podcast called Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast! — the last new episode of which aired on April 4 — Gottfried was also known for his work on the popular PBS Kids show Cyberchase. Gilbert Gottfried. Carolyn Cole/Contour/Getty His notable films 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. Gottfried reprised his Aladdin voice role of Iago — the villain Jafar's morally torn, wisecracking parrot sidekick — in the sequels The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), as well as in various other Disney specials and series. Gilbert Gottfried. Brad Barket/Getty Among the tributes pouring in to the comedic legend following his death was one from former costar Jason Alexander. "Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily," Alexander tweeted Tuesday. "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," he added. Gottfried is survived by his wife Dara, 14-year-old daughter Lily, 12-year-old son Max, sister Karen and nephew Graham.