Horror Movie Star and West Michigan Native Dies at Age 61

A West Michigan native known for his pivotal roles in classic Hollywood horror films has passed away.

Family members recently shared the news that the actor had, "taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife."

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Ed Gale - Actor, Performer

Know for playing Chucky in the original Child's Play (1988) film the family says actor Ed Gale of Plainwell, Michigan,

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

Gale was born in Plainwell, Michigan in 1963 where he attended school, graduating Plainwell High School in 1981. Born with Dwarfism, once Gale made it to Hollywood he made his living as a stunt performer as he was well-suited for roles requiring a smaller stature.

While well-known actors voiced such characters as Chucky or the titular Howard the Duck (1986), Gale was the man inside the suit who brought these characters to life. Niece Kayse Gale wrote on Facebook,

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.

Since leaving West Michigan Gale made his home in the Hollywood hills of Los Angeles. Gale appeared to be battling chronic health issues but no cause of death has been listed. TMZ reports Gale passed away at an L.A. hospice facility on May 27, 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyWXCJs8mbw

According to the media outlet Gale suffered from "debilitating illnesses" in the months leading to his death, and was on probation and a registered sex offender after pleading no contest in 2024 to exchanging messages and arranging to meet a minor.