Chucky's Origin Explained: How Charles Lee Ray Became a Doll

Child ’s period of play ’s Chucky is Hollywood ’s best - known killer dame , but he was once a human in series killer named Charles Lee Ray , aka The Lakeshore Strangler . The history of the horror genre is full of evil dame , with one of the earliest examples being the homicidal " Talky Tina " come up in the classicTwilight Zoneepisode " Living Doll . " In more late times , the ogre - possessedAnnabellehas starred in three successfulConjuringspinoff plastic film , and the puppet called Billy has become one of the most iconic element of theSawfranchise .

When it comes to orca dolls in horror though , there ’s one clean front runner : Chucky . Debuting in 1988’sChild ’s Play , Chucky has returned to exact victims in six sequels , with the most recent being 2017’sCult of Chucky . Chucky , voice by Brad Dourif , will also refund next year in aChild ’s PlayTV seriesset to air on Syfy . passably controversially , Orion Pictures also debuted a new Chucky in 2019 , vocalise byMark Hamill , in aChild ’s Playremake . Franchise creator Don Mancini objected , but his plea fell on indifferent ears .

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Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo artwork showing Kulebra facing dark souls.

While not quite looming as large as a Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers in the annals of horror , Chucky is most definitely an image of the slasher music genre , and a part even most people who are n’t horror lover would be likely to accredit . However , Chucky himself was n’t always a doll , and his stemma story serve to make the character even more fearsome .

Chucky Was Once a Serial Killer Named Charles Lee Ray

Before becoming the foul - mouthed , bloodthirsty doll repugnance fans roll in the hay and love , Chucky was a sequent killer prowl the Chicago domain named Charles Lee Ray , nickname " The Lakeshore Strangler " by police . As seen in the beginning of the firstChild ’s Play , Charles was finally catch up to and shot by Detective Mike Norris ( Chris Sarandon ) . Not wanting to die , Charles dip into a toy dog store , and used a hoodooism artefact called The Heart of Damballa to remove his mortal into the approximate item , a Good Guy skirt . The doll now inhabited by the soul of Charles Lee Ray was subsequently sold in a back alley to Karen Barclay , and the rest is repugnance account .