Actor who played horror icon Chucky has died aged 61

"He delighted in the slow buildup of telling a good story"

Born in the state of Michigan, Gale's first on-screen credit was as Howard the Duck's in-suit performer in 1986.

Two years later, he once again worked as the in-suit performer/stuntman version of Chucky in Child's Play, which went on to spawn a slasher-comedy franchise.

TMZ reports that he died in a Los Angeles hospice on Tuesday, May 27, although the cause of death is not publicly known.

Gale's niece Kayse Gale paid tribute to her uncle in a lengthy Facebook post, writing: "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 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 [convention] he attended. Which he never stopped bragging about. Ever."

It continued: "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's favorite role was that of the 'fun uncle.' His love language was sharing his love of the entertainment industry and the magic of Hollywood with his nieces.

"Ed loved 7 eleven hotdogs with disgusting amounts of ketchup. He enjoyed reminiscing about his glory days DJ'ing at the Plainwell roller rink. He hated Bill Maher for no good reason. He delighted in the slow buildup 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*****d."

Gale appeared in three Chucky horrors in total, as well as Spaceballs, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Polar Express, Land of the Lost, My Name is Earl, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?