The Life and Legacy of Gilbert Gottfried
How one actor’s voice made him a phenomenon.
Yesterday, when my spouse called home to advise that Gilbert Gottfried had died, I did not right off the bat recognize the actor’s name. Thereafter, my husband proceeded to do a palatable imitation of the actor’s voice. Being totally concentrated on my work, I did not put two and two together until this morning, when I heard on Good Morning America that Gilbert Gottfried had died from a long illness as they showed clips of his past film and tv credits. Then it all hit me who Gilbert Gottfried was.
ABC’s quick overview of Gottfried’s entertainment life being a comic/performer with the most iconic voice in comedy was a light bulb moment for me. For years, I have had a very distinctive voice but had spent all the years of my life trying to modify or downplay the power of my voice. Seeing how Gottfried’s career soared as a result of his voice, his trademark screeching, obnoxious voice, and never squinted, made me realize I need to do the same and stop wasting my God-given talent.
Gottfried and I have another element in common, we are both from New York. He was a native and I was a transplant from Mississippi. This is where the similarities end.
He got his start in New York and became a prominent member of the Saturday Night Live cast. Back in the day when…
