Actor Ed Gale, who is best known for playing the killer doll Chucky in the Child’s Play franchise, has passed away. He was 61.
The actor passed away Tuesday (May 27) in Los Angeles. Gale’s niece Kayse Gale announced his passing on Facebook.
“We are saddened by the sudden passing of our uncle, Ed Gale,” Kayse announced. “Ed had a remarkable journey, starting with only $41 and a dream when he moved to California at twenty. He made a mark in cult favorite films like Howard the Duck and Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town, gaining recognition at various conventions, a fact he never failed to mention.”
Kayse reminisced about Ed’s extensive career, spanning over 130 credited roles in movies, television, and commercials. “He had an infectious laugh that will be dearly missed. Rest in love, you cantankerous soul,” she bid farewell.
Ed Gale started his acting journey in 1986 as the lead in Howard the Duck. Reflecting on his career, he shared with iHorror how this role landed him the part of Chucky in the Child’s Play series, where Chucky’s voice was by Brad Dourif, not Gale.
âI am told Tom Holland requested me personally after hearing that I was Howard the Duck,â Gale said. âHe wanted someone physically capable of bringing the costume to life. I was known for doing just that.â
Gale later reprised his role for Child’s Play 2 but revealed he refused to return for the third installment after director John Lafia reportedly made “deplorable” comments about him. Gale later returned for Bride of Chucky, claiming they “begged and begged.”
The actor said it was a “team effort” to bring Chucky to life, but he maintained that he was the one who executed all of Chucky’s movements in the films. â[Thatâs why] I will not allow people to merely say I was Chuckyâs stunt double,â he told the outlet.
Gale’s other credits include roles in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Land of the Lost, The Jungle Book, Tiptoes, and more.
Gale stopped acting in 2020. But in 2023, he was busted for sending sexually explicit messages to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy. The actor was confronted in his Hollywood apartment as part of a filmed YouTube sting operation organized by a group called the Creep Catcher Unit, according to KTLA5.
He was still being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department at his time of death, according to the New York Post.
In the video, Gale confessed to soliciting naked pictures from minors and estimated that he may have spoken to 10 other underaged victims.
âYes, Iâm admitting I know it was wrong and it was illegal,â Gale says in the video. âIâm admitting that and Iâm sorry.â
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