Ed Gale
{{Short description|American actor and stunt performer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ed Gale
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Edward Gale
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|8|23|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Plainwell, Michigan, U.S.
| occupation = Actor, stunt performer
| yearsactive = 1986–2020
| website =
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}Edward Gale (born August 23, 1963) is a retired{{Cite web |last=Gross |first=Jason |date=2018-05-02 |title=Interview with Ed Gale from 'Howard the Duck', 'Child's Play', 'Spaceballs' & More |url=https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/2018/02/interview-with-ed-gale-from-howard-the-duck.html |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=Rediscover the 80s}} American actor and stunt performer who appeared in films and television series primarily between 1986 and 2013.
Early life
Gale was born with dwarfism.{{cite web|url=https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/2018/02/interview-with-ed-gale-from-howard-the-duck.html|title=Interview with Ed Gale from 'Howard the Duck', 'Child's Play', 'Spaceballs' & More|publisher=Rediscover the 80s|date=June 30, 2014|access-date=November 14, 2021}}{{Specify|date=May 2023}} He was born in Plainwell, Michigan, and graduated from Plainwell High School.
Career
His debut was as the title role of Howard in the 1986 film Howard the Duck. While Chip Zien provided Howard's voice, Gale was the actor in the suit throughout the film. In 1988, he played Chucky in the horror film Child's Play.{{cite web|url=https://www.ihorror.com/know-chucky-played-real-person-exclusive-interview-ed-gale/|title=Did You Know That Chucky Was Played by a Real Person?!; Exclusive Interview with Ed Gale|publisher=iHorror|date=January 29, 2015|access-date=November 14, 2021}} He went on to appear in two other films in the franchise.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/747164650|title='Howard the Duck' a promising farce that never quite flies|work=The Columbia Record|date=August 8, 1986|access-date=November 14, 2021}} He played the dinosaur Tasha in the short-lived television series Land of the Lost (1991). In 2003, he had a supporting role as Matthew McConaughey and Gary Oldman's characters' uncle Bobby Barry in Tiptoes, a film that revolves around a family of little people. Ed Gale appeared in a minor role in the popular American television sitcom My Name is Earl. The episode, titled "Little Bad Voodoo Brother", aired in 2006 and featured Gale as a carnival performer named "Little Eddie".{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0301839/|title=Ed Gale IMDB Page|publisher=IMDB|date=January 24, 2018|access-date=April 11, 2023}}
Legal issues
In April 2023, Gale was accused by a group of online predator-hunters going by the name "Creep Catchers Unit" of attempting to solicit sex from multiple minors, one male among whom he allegedly believed to be aged fourteen years.{{Cite web |last=Saad |first=Nardine |date=2023-04-21 |title='Child's Play' actor Ed Gale admits soliciting child for sex in sting operation |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-04-21/childs-play-chucky-actor-ed-gale-creep-catchers |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} He had his smartphones seized by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during a home visit on April 19, but was at that time neither charged nor taken into custody.{{cite web |date=April 19, 2023 |title='Chucky' star Ed Gale admits on-camera trying to meet teen for sex |url=https://www.foxla.com/news/chucky-actor-accused-of-trying-to-meet-teen-for-sex |access-date=April 19, 2023 |work=FOX11}} As of January 2025, he remains under investigation by the LAPD and the Los Angeles County District Attorney.{{Cite web |last=DuBose |first=Josh |date=2023-04-21 |title='Creep Catchers' child advocacy group confronts 'Child's Play' actor in Hollywood |url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/chucky-spaceballs-actor-admits-on-video-to-trying-to-meet-minors-for-sex/ |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=KTLA |language=en-US}}
Selected filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Year
!style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Title !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Role !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Notes |
|---|
| 1986
|Howard T. Duck |In-suit performer |
| 1987
|Dink | |
| 1988
|Chucky |In-suit performer/stunts |
| 1989
|Bob Littleton | |
| 1990
|Chucky |In-suit performer/stunts |
| 1991
|The Doll | |
| 1994
|Baby Baloo | |
| 1998
|Chucky |In-suit performer/stunts |
| 2000
|Little Man | |
| 2000
|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle |The Mole |In-suit performer |
| 2003
|Bobby Barry | |
| 2004
|Elf (voice) |Also motion-capture |
| 2005
|L.A. Dicks | | |
| 2007
|Marksman |Tony Valino |Short |
| 2009
|The Gold & the Beautiful |Eddie | |
| rowspan="2"|2010
|Willlie |Uncredited |
| Santa Preys for X-mas
|Dick the Elf |Video short |
| rowspan="2"|2011
|The Amateur Monster Movie |Reporter Mel Tambor |Voice |
| 365 Days
|Mr. Thomas |Direct-to-video |
| rowspan="2"|2013
|Mikeyboy |Pizza Shop Owner | |
| Crazy Town
|Pat |Short |
| 2020
|Pandemonic |Artist | |
| 2022
|Himself |Documentary |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Year
!style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Title !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Role !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Notes |
|---|
| 1988
|Oscar |Episode: "Read My Lips" |
| 1990
|Ned Brown/Farmer |TV film |
| 1991–1992
|Tasha, Magas |26 episodes |
| 1993
|Q-Three |TV film |
| 1994
|Simon McKay |Episode: "Short Sighted" |
| 1994–1998
|Genie Master / Little Person / Wyatt Primate |3 episodes |
| 1995
|Jack / Leprechaun |Episode: "Erin Go Barf" |
| 1996
|The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas |Larry |TV film |
| 1996
|Butch, Disgruntled Elf |Episode: "Christmas" |
| 1997
|Carlsbad |Episode: "Stevil II: This Time He's Not Alone" |
| rowspan="2"|1998
|Oscar |Episode: "Dr. Solomon's Traveling Alien Show" |
| Maggie
|Chanter |Episode: "Ka-Boom" |
| rowspan="2"|1999
|Norm |Pikachu |Episode: "Artie Comes to Town" |
| Sabrina the Teenage Witch
|Powell |Episode: "Sabrina, Nipping at Your Nose" |
| 2000
|Kevin |TV film |
| rowspan="3"|2001
|Jimmy |Episode: "Christmas? Christmas!" |
| Grounded for Life
|Jesus |Episode: "I Saw Daddy Hitting Santa Claus" |
| Call Me Claus
|Benson |TV film |
| rowspan="4"|2002
|Stan |TV film |
| The Hughleys
|Mr. Briggs |Episode: "I Have a Scheme" |
| First Monday
|Melvin Meyers |Episode: "The Price of Liberty" |
| The District
|Hank Tarver |Episode: "Small Packages" |
| 2007
|Midget Prisoner |Episode: "Randy in Charge: Of Our Days and Our Nights" |
| 2009
|Lavalle |Episode: "Double Trouble in the Panhandle" |
| 2012
|Emerald Acres |Zeus |TV film |
| 2014
|Deadly Attraction |Mr. Thomas |TV mini-series |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0301839|Ed Gale}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Ed}}