Ed Gale, Chucky Actor in Child’s Play, Dead at 61

Ed Gale, the actor best known for his performances as Chucky in several of the Child’s Play films, has died at 61.

According to TMZ, Gale passed away on Tuesday, May 27th in a Los Angeles hospice. His niece, Kayse Gale, confirmed his death in a Facebook post, reflecting on his rise to fame after hitching a ride to California as a 20-year-old with “$41 and a dream.”

“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,” she wrote. “Over the course of his career he appeared in over 130 movies, TV shows, and commercials.”

Born with dwarfism, Gale made his Hollywood debut as the titular character in 1986’s Howard the Duck and had a minor role in the cult classic Spaceballs before his breakout portrayal of the possessed doll Chucky in the 1988 horror film Child’s Play. He reprised the role in 1990’s Child’s Play 2 and 1998’s Bride of Chucky.

In recent years, however, Gale had been under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department after being caught in a child pornography sting operation in April 2023. In a video filmed by the child advocacy group Creep Catchers Unit, the actor admitted to having sexually explicit online conversations with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. He also said he might have spoken with 10 other underage victims.

At the time of Gale’s death, the investigation was reportedly ongoing, and no charges had been filed.