Ed Gale dead at 61: Actor who played Horror icon Chucky dies as niece shares sad statement

Ed Gale has died aged 61.

The Hollywood actor was best known for his portayal as creepy doll Chucky in 1988 horror film Child's Play.

Confirming the sad news of his death, his niece Kayse Gale shared a sad statement on Facebook as she paid tribute to her "fun uncle". She also spoke about how he reminisced about his glory days DJing, his hatred of Bill Maher and that he had "one hell of a laugh".

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She wrote: "Ed Gale has taken his final bow and is now headlining in the afterlife.

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

"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.

"Ed loved 7 eleven hotdogs 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. Rest in love you cranky b**tard."

A source told TMZ that the actor died on Tuesday in a hospice.

Gale appeared in films from 1986 until his retirement in 2014. He was born with dwarfism and first debuted on screen in the title role of Howard in 1986's Howard the Duck. But it was in 1988 when he shot to fame as Chucky in iconic horror film Child's Play.

He starred in two more films in the franchise before starring as dinosaur Tasha in 1991 TV series Land of the Lost.

The actor also appeared alongside Matthew McConaughey and Gary Oldman as their uncle Bobby Barry in 2003 comedy-drama Tiptoes. The plot revolves around McConaughey's character who struggles to reveal to his pregnant wife (played by Kate Beckinsale) that his entire family are dwarves. The film was considered controversial at the time due to non-dwarf Oldman's casting as a dwarf.

Gale went on to star in a minor role in US sitcom My Name Is Earl in 2006, during which he played a carnival performer called "Little Eddie".

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