How did Ed Gale die? Child’s Play star’s cause of death explained

Ed Gale, who played the slasher villain Chucky in the Child's Play movies, has passed away at age 61. He physically performed the murderous Chucky doll, the toy possessed by the soul of a serial killer, in the 1988 original Child's Play movie. He returned to the role in the sequels Child's Play 2 and Bride of Chucky.

Ed Gale's cause of death has not been officially disclosed, but he reportedly died while in hospice care in Los Angeles. His death was a "sudden passing," and was confirmed by his niece, Kayse Gale, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, a day after his passing on May 27. She wrote:

"It is with heavy heart and a surprisingly light coffin (see what I did there?) that we announce the sudden passing of our uncle, Ed Gale. Ed Gale has taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife."

While the late actor starred in multiple films and TV shows and portrayed various roles, Kayse said in her Facebook post that his uncle's "favorite role" was playing the "fun uncle." She added in the tribute:

"His love language was sharing his love of the entertainment industry and the magic of Hollywood with his nieces."

According to his niece, Gale loved many different things, including 7-Eleven hot dogs with "disgusting amounts of ketchup" and remembering his days as a DJ at the Plainwell roller rink. Also, he reportedly hated Bill Maher for undisclosed reasons.

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All about Ed Gale, the man behind Chucky

According to his IMDb page, Ed Gale was originally from Plainwell, Michigan, but he left his hometown when he was 20 years old to pursue being an actor in Hollywood. His niece, Kayse, recalled the late actor's start in show business in the Facebook post, saying that when he was 20 years old, her uncle hitched a ride to California.

He reportedly had nothing with him except for his dream and the $41 in his pocket. The move to California proved to be a success, as Kayse further wrote, talking about his legacy in Hollywood:

"Over the course of his career he appeared in over 130 movies, TV shows, and commercials. With his wide-ranging body of work, he leaves behind a legacy full of questionable lighting and amazing one-liners."

Ed Gale was born with dwarfism and stood 40 inches tall, per his IMDb page. While he is known for physically playing the villain Chucky in the Child's Play movies, he also starred as a superhero in the comedy film Howard the Duck in 1986. It was his debut role, and while the movie wasn't a box office hit, it was a stepping stone for his casting in Child's Play.

During an interview with iHorror in 2015, he said that playing Chucky required legitimate acting talent, saying:

"I will not allow people to merely say I was Chucky's stunt double."

Gale starred in dozens of movies from the 1990s to the 2000s, including Spaceballs, Dolly Dearest, The Amateur Monster Movie, Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, Deadly Attraction, and Pandemonic, his last acting credit on IMDb. As for TV shows, he has had recurring and guest-starring roles in Friday the 13th: The Series, Land of the Lost, Baywatch, Townies, Bones, and My Name Is Earl.

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Ed Gale was the subject of an investigation in 2023 after a video sting, CC Unit, aka Creep Catchers Unit, caught him at his Hollywood apartment after he allegedly pursued a s*xual encounter online with a minor. According to the Seattle Times, the LA Police Department was reportedly still investigating the actor until his death.