Ed Gale, known for playing frightful doll Chucky and 'Howard the Duck,' dies at 61

Ed Gale, an actor and stuntman best known for frightening audiences as the possessed doll Chucky, has died. He was 61.

Gale's rep, Angela Strange, confirmed his death to USA TODAY May 28, but did not specify a cause. Born with dwarfism, Gale stood at 3 feet 4 inches tall, a fact that was often played up for his starring roles. Whether as the affable, ultraintelligent duck from a far-off planet in "Howard the Duck," or the iconic horror doll Chucky, Gale was known for delivering a full-body performance.

Cementing his place in Hollywood in the 1980s, Gale appeared in 1988's "Child's Play," returning for the 1990 sequel "Child’s Play 2" and later "Bride of Chucky." His turn about Tinseltown reached its height before the year 2000, with roles in "Mom and Dad Save the World," "The Little Rascals" and "New Nightmare."

No stranger to a guest spot, Gale appeared on popular shows like "Weird Science" and "Family Matters," later stretching his fame into the 2010s with roles in "The Amateur Monster Movie" and "Mikeyboy."

"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," his niece, Kayse Gale, wrote in a Facebook post May 27. "Ed Gale has taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife.

Remembering those we lost: Celebrity Deaths 2025

"Ed hitched a ride to California when he was twenty years old, with $41 and a dream, and he never looked back," she wrote. "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… Which he never stopped bragging about. Ever."

Gale "appeared in over 130 movies, TV shows, and commercials," his niece wrote. "With this wide-ranging body of work, he leaves behind (a) legacy full of questionable lighting and amazing one-liners," she continued, adding that throughout all the fame his favorite role remained 'fun uncle' and he loved to share the "magic of Hollywood" with his nieces.

"Ed loved 7-Eleven hot dogs 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," the statement finished.