( CNN ) -- The Aflac duck lost its voice Monday after the insurance giant fired the comedian behind the commercial quack for tweeting jokes about the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated Japan . The Columbus , Georgia-based company fired Gilbert Gottfried less than an hour after discovering the tweets , according to a news release from Aflac . `` Gilbert 's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac , '' Michael Zuna , the company 's senior vice president and chief marketing officer , said in a statement . The earthquake and tsunami have left more than 2,400 people dead and thousands more in shelters or missing . Most of the tweets attributed to Gottfried make light of the natural disaster in either a flippant or a sexual manner . The tweets include this , posted at 12:33 p.m. Saturday : . `` Japan called me . They said 'maybe those jokes are a hit in the U.S. , but over here , they 're all sinking . ' `` Another tweet , posted at 11:06 a.m. the same day , said : . `` I was talking to my Japanese real estate agent . I said 'is there a school in this area . ' She said 'not now , but just wait . ' `` Zuna said , `` Aflac Japan -- and , by extension , Japan itself -- is part of the Aflac family , and there is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times . '' He added that the company was giving the International Red Cross 100 million yen ( $ 1.2 million ) to aid in disaster relief . Zuna also noted that Gottfried had not provided the quack for the Japanese version of the Aflac duck . Gottfried is perhaps best known as a character actor in such Hollywood movies as `` The Adventures of Ford Fairlane , '' `` Problem Child 1 and 2 '' and `` House Party 3 . '' His high-pitched , gravelly voice also provided the dialogue for Iago , the parrot sidekick of an evil sultan 's adviser in the Disney cartoon movie `` Aladdin , '' as well as subsequent sequels . He was also a one-season cast member of Saturday Night Live in 1980 . Gottfried issued a statement Tuesday apologizing for his `` attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in Japan . '' `` I meant no disrespect , and my thoughts are with the victims and their families , '' he said in the statement . Zuna said Aflac `` will immediately set plans in motion to conduct a nationwide casting call to find a new voice of the iconic Aflac Duck . '' CNN 's Nick Valencia contributed to this report .
NEW : Gottfried apologizes for his `` attempt at humor '' Aflac says Gottfried was fired after tweeting jokes about the disaster in Japan . The tweets were posted Saturday . Aflac will hold national casting call for a replacement .