Ed Gale, the actor who portrayed villainous doll Chucky in three installments of the Child’s Play horror franchise, has died. He was 61.
Gale’s niece, Kayse Gale, announced his death in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“It is with a heavy heart and a surprisingly light coffin (see what I did there?) that we announce the sudden passing of our uncle,” she wrote.
It is with a heavy heart and a surprisingly light coffin (see what I did there?) that we announce the sudden passing of…
Posted by Kayse Gale on Tuesday, May 27, 2025
“Ed hitched a ride to California when he was twenty years old, with $41 and a dream, and he never looked back,” she continued.
“He lit up the silver screens in cult classic films like Howard the Duck and Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town, earning himself some serious street cred at every con he attended. Which he never stopped bragging about. Ever,” Gale wrote. “Over the course of his career he appeared in over 130 movies, TV shows, and commercials. With this wide ranging body of work, he leaves behind legacy full of questionable lighting and amazing one-liners.”
The actor, who was born with dwarfism, debuted as the title role’s physical form in the 1986 comedy Howard the Duck. Additional film credits include Spaceballs, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Tiptoes, and The Polar Express.
Gale also appeared on the children’s television series Land of the Lost, along with the sitcoms Weird Science, Norm, and My Name Is Earl.
Perhaps Gale’s most famous role was his in-suit portrayal of Chucky, a talking doll possessed by the soul of a dead serial killer, in 1988’s Child’s Play, its sequel two years later, and 1998’s Bride of Chucky.
“Ed was a pleasure to work with on Child’s Play and played an important role in helping me sell the action of Chucky and thus a reason to fear Chucky,” Child’s Play director Tom Holland told People. “Ed was always ready to go when I called action.”
In 2023, Gale was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department for allegedly soliciting a minor for sex in what turned out to be a sting operation.
The leader of the “Creep Catcher Unit” told LA Weekly then, “It’s ironic that in the movie, the serial killer doll is going after an underage boy, then in real life, this guy is doing the exact same thing.” The person added: “He kind of embraced the role.”
At the time of Gale’s death, no charges had been filed.
TMZ reported Wednesday that Gale died in hospice care in Los Angeles.
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