Actor Benji Gregory, the former child star of the hit 1980s television sitcom “Alf,” has been found dead, according to reports.
Gregory was just 46 when he died unexpectedly.
No official cause of death has been made public.
However, Gregory’s sister said she believes he was killed by heatstroke after falling asleep in his car.
Gregory was found dead in a Chase parking lot in Peoria, Arizona on June 13 but his death was only revealed this week.
His dog also died with him.
Gregory was born into a family of actors in Encino, California on May 26, 1978.
Between 1986 and 1990, Gregory appeared in the hugely popular sitcom “Alf.”
The titular character, an alien life form whose real name is Gordon Shumway, is adopted by the Tanner family after crash-landing in their garage.
Gregory played Brian Tanner, one of the children in the Tanner family, for 101 episodes.
The iconic main character, a brown, furry creature with a large snout, was played by puppeteer Paul Fusco, who created the show with Tom Patchett.
“It became quite natural to interact with ALF,” Gregory said in a 2022 interview with BTM Legends Corner, a show on YouTube.
RIP to actor Benji Gregory, who starred as Brian Tanner on the sitcom ALF. Gregory was just 46. pic.twitter.com/rWSoevrY1S
— LandOfThe80s (@landofthe80s) July 10, 2024
According to Gregory’s sister, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, Gregory suffered from a sleep disorder that kept him awake for days.
He was also suffering from depression and bipolar disorder.
The family believes Gregory fell asleep and died from vehicular heatstroke.
He had reportedly been running errands and had gone to the bank to deposit some checks.
Gregory was found dead in his car along with his dog, Hans, who had also tragically died.
“Ben was a great Son, Brother, and Uncle,” Hertzberg-Pfaffinger wrote in a Facebook post.
“He was fun to be around and made us laugh quite often.
“Still, going through his things, I find myself laughing at little videos or notes of his, in between crying.”
Gregory also had small TV roles in shows like “The A-Team,” the 1985 reboot of “The Twilight Zone,” and “Amazing Stories.”
Later in life, Gregory joined the Navy and became an aerographer’s mate.
He received an honorable medical discharge and married Sarah Gregory.
In a 2000 interview with People, Gregory said he was relieved when “Alf” was canceled.
“I didn’t want to do any more shows, but I don’t regret any of it,” he said.
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