Ed Gale, beloved for his role as Chucky in ‘Child’s Play,’ dies at 61

Images: Screengrabs from YouTube/ScreamFactoryTV

Ed Gale, an American actor known for being the physical performer of Chucky and Howard the Duck, has died. He was 61 years old.

Ed’s death was announced by his niece, Kayse Gale, on Facebook on Wednesday, May 28, while looking back at his prolific acting career. The cause of his death was not revealed.

“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, [Ed Gale. He] has taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife,” she wrote.

“Ed hitched a ride to California when he was twenty years old, with $41 and a dream, and he never looked back,” she added.

Kayse recalled Ed’s notable roles such as Howard the Duck, Chucky and Chopper Chicks, noting that with the latter he “earned some serious street cred” and “never stopped bragging about [it].”

“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,” she said.

Despite making a name for himself in the silver screen, Kayse said the late actor’s “favorite role” was being a “fun uncle,” as he loved to share his “love of the entertainment industry and the magic of Hollywood” with his loved ones.

“Ed’s favorite role was that of the ‘fun uncle.’ His love language was sharing his love of the entertainment industry and the magic of Hollywood with his nieces,” she recalled. “Ed loved 7-Eleven hotdogs with disgusting amounts of ketchup.

“He enjoyed reminiscing about his glory days DJing at the Plainwell roller rink. He hated Bill Maher for no good reason. He delighted in the slow build up of telling a good story, and cheating at cribbage. He had one hell of a laugh, and he will be missed. Rest in love, you cranky bastard,” she continued.

Gale, who was active in the entertainment industry from 1986 to 2020, appeared in multiple films such as “The Jungle Book,” “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle,” and “The Polar Express,” as well as episodes of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Weird Science.”

Amid his many roles, it was Chucky, Howard the Duck, and Bob Littleton that left a mark on viewers’ hearts.  /ra