Ed Gale

Last updated
Ed Gale
Born
Edward Gale

(1963-08-23) August 23, 1963 (age 61)
Occupation(s)Actor, stunt performer
Years active1986–2020

Edward Gale (born August 23, 1963) is a retired [1] American actor and stunt performer who appeared in films and television series primarily between 1986 and 2013.

Contents

Early life

Gale was born with dwarfism. [2] [ specify ] He was born in Plainwell, Michigan, and graduated from Battle Creek Central High School. [3]

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 . [4] He went on to appear in two other films in the franchise. [2] [5] 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". [6]

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. [7] 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. [8] As of April 21, he remains under investigation by the LAPD and the Los Angeles County District Attorney. [9]

Selected filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Howard the Duck Howard T. DuckIn-suit performer
1987 Spaceballs Dink
1988 Child's Play ChuckyIn-suit performer/stunts
1989 Chopper Chicks in Zombietown Bob Littleton
1990 Child's Play 2 ChuckyIn-suit performer/stunts
1991 Dolly Dearest The Doll
1994 The Jungle Book Baby Baloo
1998 Bride of Chucky ChuckyIn-suit performer/stunts
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? Little Man
2000 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle The MoleIn-suit performer
2003 Tiptoes Bobby Barry
2004 The Polar Express Elf (voice)Also motion-capture
2005L.A. Dicks
2007MarksmanTony ValinoShort
2009The Gold & the BeautifulEddie
2010 Speed-Dating WilllieUncredited
Santa Preys for X-masDick the ElfVideo short
2011The Amateur Monster MovieReporter Mel TamborVoice
365 DaysMr. ThomasDirect-to-video
2013MikeyboyPizza Shop Owner
Crazy TownPatShort
2020PandemonicArtist
2022 In Search of Tomorrow HimselfDocumentary

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 Friday the 13th: The Series OscarEpisode: "Read My Lips"
1990 The Dreamer of Oz Ned Brown/FarmerTV film
1991–1992 Land of the Lost Tasha, Magas26 episodes
1993 Lifepod Q-ThreeTV film
1994 Baywatch Simon McKayEpisode: "Short Sighted"
1994–1998 Weird Science Genie Master / Little Person / Wyatt Primate3 episodes
1995 Pig Sty Jack / LeprechaunEpisode: "Erin Go Barf"
1996 The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas LarryTV film
1996 Townies Butch, Disgruntled ElfEpisode: "Christmas"
1997 Family Matters CarlsbadEpisode: "Stevil II: This Time He's Not Alone"
1998 3rd Rock from the Sun OscarEpisode: "Dr. Solomon's Traveling Alien Show"
Maggie ChanterEpisode: "Ka-Boom"
1999 Norm PikachuEpisode: "Artie Comes to Town"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch PowellEpisode: "Sabrina, Nipping at Your Nose"
2000 The Christmas Secret KevinTV film
2001 Just Shoot Me! JimmyEpisode: "Christmas? Christmas!"
Grounded for Life JesusEpisode: "I Saw Daddy Hitting Santa Claus"
Call Me Claus BensonTV film
2002 Santa Jr. StanTV film
The Hughleys Mr. BriggsEpisode: "I Have a Scheme"
First Monday Melvin MeyersEpisode: "The Price of Liberty"
The District Hank TarverEpisode: "Small Packages"
2007 My Name Is Earl Midget PrisonerEpisode: "Randy in Charge: Of Our Days and Our Nights"
2009 Bones LavalleEpisode: "Double Trouble in the Panhandle"
2012Emerald AcresZeusTV film
2014Deadly AttractionMr. ThomasTV mini-series

Related Research Articles

<i>Spaceballs</i> 1987 film by Mel Brooks

Spaceballs is a 1987 American satirical space opera comedy film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is a parody primarily of the original Star Wars trilogy, but also of other popular franchises such as Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and Transformers. The film stars Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, with the supporting cast including Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Lorene Yarnell, and the voice of Joan Rivers. In addition to Brooks playing a dual role, the film also features Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise and Rudy De Luca in cameo appearances.

<i>Dragnet</i> (franchise) Radio, television, and film series, mostly about LAPD detective Joe Friday

Dragnet is an American media franchise created by actor and producer Jack Webb, following Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Joe Friday and his partners as they conduct by-the-book police work and solve crimes in Los Angeles. Originating as a radio drama on NBC in 1949, Dragnet has been adapted into several successful television shows and films, though the franchise's popularity has reduced since Webb's death in 1982. Its name is derived from the police term "dragnet", a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Dourif</span> American actor (born 1950)

Bradford Claude Dourif is an American semi-retired actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the Child's Play franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings film series and his Oscar-nominated role as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).

<i>Childs Play 3</i> 1991 film by Jack Bender

Child's Play 3 is a 1991 American slasher film and the third installment in the Child's Play film series. The film is written by Don Mancini and directed by Jack Bender. Brad Dourif once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previous films while new cast members include Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves and Jeremy Sylvers. It was executive-produced by David Kirschner, who produced the first two Child's Play films. Although released only nine months after Child's Play 2, the story takes place eight years following the events of that film, and one month before the events of Bride of Chucky. The film follows Andy Barclay (Whalin) now 16, enrolling at Kent Military School. Andy is unknowingly followed by a revived Chucky (Dourif), who sets his sight on a younger kid cadet Ronald Tyler (Sylvers).

<i>Childs Play</i> (1988 film) 1988 American slasher film by Tom Holland

Child's Play is a 1988 American supernatural slasher film directed by Tom Holland, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Don Mancini and John Lafia, and a story by Mancini. The film stars Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon with Brad Dourif as Chucky. Its plot follows a widowed mother who gives a doll to her son, unaware that the doll is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.

<i>Childs Play 2</i> 1990 film by John Lafia

Child's Play 2 is a 1990 American supernatural slasher film and the direct sequel to Child's Play, written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia, one of the co-writers of the first film. It is the second installment in the Child's Play franchise and set two years after the first film; the plot follows Charles Lee Ray continuing his pursuit for Andy Barclay, who was placed in foster care, and transferring his soul into him after being resurrected. Alex Vincent and Brad Dourif reprised their roles while Christine Elise, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham and Grace Zabriskie joined the cast.

<i>Adam-12</i> American police procedural television series, 1968–1975

Adam-12 is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol Los Angeles in their police cruiser, assigned the call sign "1-Adam-12". Adam-12 stars Martin Milner and Kent McCord, with several recurring co-stars, the most frequent being William Boyett and Gary Crosby. The series ran over seven seasons from September 21, 1968, until May 20, 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Jones</span> American character actor (born 1946)

Jeffrey Duncan Jones is an American actor, known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Amadeus (1984), Edward R. Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988), Dr. Skip Tyler in The Hunt for Red October (1990), Eddie Barzoon in The Devil's Advocate (1997), and A.W. Merrick in both Deadwood (2004–2006) and Deadwood: The Movie (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne Zuniga</span> American actress (born 1962)

Daphne Eurydice Zuniga is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1982 slasher film The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) at the age of 19, followed by a lead role in another slasher film The Initiation (1984) two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Osmond</span> American actor and police officer (1943–2020)

Kenneth Charles Osmond was an American actor and police officer. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of four, Osmond played the role of Eddie Haskell on the late 1950s to early 1960s television situation comedy Leave It to Beaver and reprised it on the 1980s revival series The New Leave It to Beaver. Typecast by the role, he found it hard to get other acting work and became a Los Angeles police officer. After retiring from police work, he resumed his acting career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Mancini</span> American screenwriter, director and producer

George Donald Mancini is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating and writing the Child's Play franchise (1988–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Vincent (actor)</span> American actor (born 1981)

Alexander Vincent LoScialpo is an American actor, writer and sound engineer. He is known for his role as Andy Barclay in the Child's Play franchise, having played the character in Child's Play (1988), Child's Play 2 (1990), Curse of Chucky (2013), Cult of Chucky (2017) and again for the Syfy/USA Network television series Chucky in 2021.

Chucky (<i>Childs Play</i>) Fictional character and antagonist in the Childs Play franchise

Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray is the main antagonist of the Child's Play horror franchise. Chucky is portrayed as a vicious serial killer who, as he bleeds out from a gunshot wound, transfers his soul into a "Good Guy" doll and continuously tries to transfer it to a human body. The character has become one of the most recognizable horror icons and has been referenced numerous times in popular culture. In 1999, the Chucky character was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the film Bride of Chucky. He was created by writer Don Mancini and is portrayed by Brad Dourif in both live action and voice over. For the 2019 remake of the same name, Mark Hamill voiced an artificial intelligence (AI) version of Chucky as a tragic villain, having previously voiced the Charles Lee Ray version of the character in an episode of Robot Chicken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gilmore (writer)</span> American journalist (1935–2016)

John "Jonathan" Gilmore was an American author and gonzo journalist known for iconoclastic Hollywood memoirs, true crime literature and hard-boiled fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Bell (actor)</span> American actor (born 1938)

Michael Bell is an American actor who is most active in voice over roles. He has acted in video games and animated series, including Legacy of Kain, The Transformers, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Houndcats, Rugrats, The Smurfs, The Incredible Hulk, and Snorks and appeared on-screen in film and television, including the TV programs Dallas and Star Trek.

<i>Howard the Duck</i> (film) 1986 American superhero comedy film by Willard Huyck

Howard the Duck is a 1986 American superhero comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and starring Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, and Tim Robbins. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film was produced by Gloria Katz and written by Huyck and Katz, with George Lucas as executive producer. The screenplay was originally intended to be an animated film, but the film adaptation became live-action because of a contractual obligation. While several TV adaptations of Marvel characters were aired, this was the first theatrical release since the Captain America serial of 1944.

<i>Fatal Beauty</i> 1987 film by Tom Holland

Fatal Beauty is a 1987 American action comedy crime thriller film directed by Tom Holland, and starring Whoopi Goldberg as Detective Rita Rizzoli, and Sam Elliott as Mike Marshak. The screenplay was written by Hilary Henkin and Dean Riesner. The original music score was composed by Harold Faltermeyer. The film was marketed with the tagline "An earthquake is about to hit L.A. It's called Detective Rita Rizzoli."

<i>Bride of Chucky</i> 1998 American slasher film by Ronny Yu

Bride of Chucky is a 1998 American black comedy slasher film written by Don Mancini and directed by Ronny Yu. The fourth installment in the Child's Play franchise, it stars Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, and Nick Stabile. Unlike the first three films, Bride of Chucky takes a markedly humorous turn towards self-referential parody. It also departs from the Andy Barclay storyline of the first three films, focusing mainly on series villain Chucky, a doll possessed by a serial killer, and his former lover and accomplice Tiffany, whose soul is also transferred into a doll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zackary Arthur</span> American actor

Zackary Arthur Herrera is an American actor, known for portraying the lead role of Jake Wheeler in Chucky, a television continuation of the Child's Play film franchise, for which he was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Network or Cable Television Series, also portraying Charles Lee Ray in the series' third season. He also played Sammy Sullivan in The 5th Wave, and had a recurring role as a young Jeff Piccirillo on the Showtime series Kidding.

Tommy Swerdlow is an American screenwriter, actor, and director. He has appeared in such films as Howard the Duck (1986) and Spaceballs (1987) and co-wrote the screenplays of Cool Runnings (1993), Little Giants (1994) and Snow Dogs (2002). Swerdlow made his directorial debut with the 2017 feature A Thousand Junkies. He has also written a biopic about the life of Matisyahu titled King Without a Crown.

References

  1. Gross, Jason (May 2, 2018). "Interview with Ed Gale from 'Howard the Duck', 'Child's Play', 'Spaceballs' & More". Rediscover the 80s. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Interview with Ed Gale from 'Howard the Duck', 'Child's Play', 'Spaceballs' & More". Rediscover the 80s. June 30, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  3. "Area native in movie". Battle Creek Enquirer . June 26, 1993. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  4. "Did You Know That Chucky Was Played by a Real Person?!; Exclusive Interview with Ed Gale". iHorror. January 29, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  5. "'Howard the Duck' a promising farce that never quite flies". The Columbia Record . August 8, 1986. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  6. "Ed Gale IMDB Page". IMDB. January 24, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  7. Saad, Nardine (April 21, 2023). "'Child's Play' actor Ed Gale admits soliciting child for sex in sting operation". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  8. "'Chucky' star Ed Gale admits on-camera trying to meet teen for sex". FOX11. April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  9. DuBose, Josh (April 21, 2023). "'Creep Catchers' child advocacy group confronts 'Child's Play' actor in Hollywood". KTLA. Retrieved May 8, 2023.