Howie Mandel Revealed He Talked to Gilbert Gottfried on His Way to the Hospital

Howie Mandel is continuing to mourn the loss of Gilbert Gottfried. Opening up about the actor’s April passing, the host of Netflix’s upcoming series Bulls**t The Game Show revealed that his final conversation with the famed comedian took place just before his death as Gottfried was on his way to the hospital.

Mandel opened up about that final conversation, as well as his friendship with Gottfried, in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight. The America’s Got Talent host told the outlet that he believes he “was the last person to talk to Gottfried, adding, “I talked to him as he was going into the ambulance, going into the hospital the last time.” Mandel went on to share that he misses Gottfried, who he described as “the sweetest, most wonderful human being.”

“He was an amazing father, an amazing brother, an amazing husband,” Mandel said. “You don’t think of him [like that] because he is very acerbic — he was the king of too soon — but he also defined what comedy is. Comedy, which we are losing, is that ability to find humor in the darkest moment. Nobody could do that better than Gilbert.”

Gottfried passed away on Tuesday, April 12, his family confirming his death in a statement shared on Twitter in which they requested that fans “please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.” Gottfried’s rep, Glenn Schwartz, later confirmed that Gottfried died from a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II. Gottfried was 67.

Gottfried’s death followed that of Bob Saget. The Full House alum passed away on Jan. 10 after he struck his head, causing a brain bleed, while in his Florida hotel room. Just days later, fellow comedian Louie Anderson died on Jan. 21 at 68. Mandel was close to all three late stars, and said the past several months have been “crazy hard” amid the numerous losses.

“When we moved out here in the ’70s, in the comedy boom, we were all friends. I’m talking about Bob Saget, Gilbert Gottfried, Louis Anderson. We were the kids … To imagine that these guys are no longer here, and it’s not that I am no longer calling them today, [it’s that] I can no longer call them again. The laughter has silenced,” he said. “I laugh harder hanging with people like that than any other place in life. Just being with comics, being with people who are saying things that could never be said onstage, could never be said on television or in front of an audience, it’s just gone.”

Born in Brooklyn in 1955, Gottfried began his comedy career at just 15 years old. In 1980, he joined the Saturday Night Live cast. He went on to make his film debut in The House of God in 1984 and later starred in Beverly Hills Cop II. Gottfried was perhaps best known as the voice behind dozens of animated characters, including Jaffar’s annoying parrot Iago in Aladdin, a role he reprised in The Return of Jafar, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and Mickey’s Hosue of Villains.