Lea Thompson has revealed that two performers played Howard the Duck in the 1986 film, one of them a young boy and the other the actor Ed Gale. The Back to the Future star shared the details on the Taboo's Comics & Kicks podcast.
"Well, there was a person inside the duck suit," she said. The other was Gale, who she called "the stunt duck" because he was older and the work was difficult and clumsy.
Gale is best known for physically performing as the killer doll Chucky in the Child's Play films. He died in May 2025, aged 61.
Howard the Duck was a live-action Marvel adaptation about a sarcastic humanoid duck pulled from his planet to Earth to stop an alien invasion. Thompson played struggling rock singer Beverly Switzler, with Tim Robbins co-starring.
The film was George Lucas's first executive-producing credit after the original Star Wars trilogy. It is widely considered a flop, though it earned around $37,962,774 internationally, according to Box Office Mojo, and has since built a cult following.
The revelation has sparked renewed interest in the production history of the film, which remains a unique piece of 1980s cinema history. Fans of the genre often revisit the movie to analyze the practical effects used during that era.
Thompson's recent comments provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at the challenges faced by the cast and crew during the filming process.