Benji Gregory, 'ALF' Child Star, Dies at 46

Former child acting star Benji Gregory, best known for his role on "ALF," has died at age 46.

TMZ reported on his death, revealing that he was found dead June 13 in his car in the parking lot of a Chase Bank in Peoria, Arizona. TMZ, citing those closest to Gregory, reported that he fell asleep in his car by the bank. Temperatures in the area reached as high as 109 degrees on June 12. It is believed he died from vehicular heatstroke. 

Gregory battled mental health disorders, including bipolar and depression and a sleep disorder that kept him awake for days, according to his sister, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger. His service dog, which was with him at the time of his death, was also found dead. 

According to ABC 7 Los Angeles, Gregory's cause of death is pending.

Gregory gained widespread recognition for his role as Brian Tanner in the television series "ALF," appearing in 101 episodes from 1986-90. The show centered around the character ALF, short for "Alien Life Form," whose real name was Gordon Shumway, according to People. 

The storyline began with ALF crash-landing into the suburban garage of the Tanner family. Paul Fusco, who co-created the series with Tom Patchett, was the puppeteer responsible for bringing the beloved character to life.

In 2018, Warner Bros. began working on a reboot of "ALF." However, the project was canceled later that year because a network couldn't be found to pick it up. Then, in February, Shout! Factory announced it had acquired the rights to "ALF" and planned to develop new content for the show.

Gregory joined the U.S. Navy in 2003 and later completed training to become an aerographer's mate. In 2005, he was honorably discharged for medical reasons.

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