Before Iron Man flew and Spider-Man swung, there was Howard the Duck — and inside that feathery suit was the unforgettable Ed Gale.
The 3-foot-4 actor, whose legacy stretches from cult films to cherished TV cameos, passed away at the age of 61. Though he may not have had a household name, Ed Gale was the household presence — especially for fans of offbeat cinema and ‘80s nostalgia.
Gale’s first acting credit was nothing short of legendary. He starred as the physical performer inside the duck suit in 1986’s Howard the Duck, Marvel’s very first theatrical film. While the movie became a campy cult classic (and a trivia punchline for decades), Gale’s energetic performance helped turn the character into an icon of its own.
But he didn’t stop there. Gale took a dark turn next — donning the killer doll costume in the original Child’s Play and two of its sequels, bringing physicality and menace to the role of Chucky that helped cement the franchise’s legacy in horror history.
Across his career, Gale racked up over 130 movie and TV appearances, including Spaceballs, Mom and Dad Save the World, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and cult-favorite Chopper Chicks in Zombietown. He also made TV appearances in Baywatch, Family Matters, and My Name Is Earl — each performance infused with charm, quirk, and heart.
In a statement equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, his niece Kayse Gale wrote, “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, Ed Gale.”
She painted a vivid portrait of the man behind the characters — a lover of 7-Eleven hotdogs “with disgusting amounts of ketchup,” a former roller rink DJ, a storied cribbage cheater, and a man with “one hell of a laugh.”
Ed Gale’s story wasn’t just about the characters he played, but the joy he brought to every set and every person he encountered. As his niece put it so perfectly: “Rest in love, you cranky bastard.”
