The lifeless body of Benji Gregory, who rose to fame as a young actor on the NBC comedy ALF in the ’80s, was discovered on June 13.
Although the death has been verified, the cause of death has not been established by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. Gregory was reportedly located in the parking lot of a Chase Bank in Peoria, Arizona. The car also contained Hans, his service dog. Hans also perished.
The actor’s sister Rebecca said that her brother battled bipolar disorder, despair, and a sleep condition that would keep him up for days at a time.
More than a hundred episodes of ALF, which ran from 1986 to 1990, featured Gregory as Brian Tanner, the middle son. It chronicled the exploits of a lovable extraterrestrial from the planet Melmac, whose spacecraft wrecked in the Tanners’ garage.
Voiced by Paul Fusco and going by the acronym ALF (for “Alien Life Form”), the alien frequently offered scathing commentary on human culture and had a soft spot for felines, although an unconventional one.
According to his troubled sister, they are suffering a significant loss as a family and are grateful for everyone’s support during this challenging period.
Fans may remember the late actor by donating to two causes close to his heart: the Actors Equity Foundation and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Playing Brian Tanner in “ALF” catapulted Gregory to stardom.
Featuring Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, and Andrea Elson among its primary cast members, the show hopped about from night to night during its tenure, but in 1987–1988, during its second season, it ranked tenth in primetime overall.
Gregory started his television career in the mid-’80s with guest spots on shows including The A-Team, T.J. Hooker, Punky Brewster, The Twilight Zone, and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. He was born on May 26, 1978, in a Los Angeles suburb.
The child-actor became an aerographer’s mate after enlisting in the United States Navy as an adult. As an aerographer, the child actor monitored the weather to ensure the safety of aircraft and sailors.
According to statistics from the National Weather Service, the metro Phoenix area’s high temperature on the day Gregory passed away was 108 F (42.2 C).
