ALF child star Benji Gregory dies at 46

Washington [US], July 11 (ANI): Benji Gregory, best known for his role as Brian Tanner on the TV show ALF, died at the age of 46.

According to TMZ, Gregory was discovered dead in his car on June 13 at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona.

Reports suggest he may have fallen asleep in his car while attempting to deposit checks the previous day.

His death is believed to be due to vehicular heatstroke, as temperatures in Arizona reached as high as 109 degrees Fahrenheit on June 12. His service dog, Hans, was also found dead in the vehicle.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office has stated that the exact cause of his death is still pending.

Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, Gregory’s older sister, shared with TMZ that Gregory struggled with depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder that often kept him awake for days.

Gregory gained fame for his role in ALF, where he portrayed Brian Tanner across 101 episodes from 1986 to 1990. The show revolved around the Tanner family’s encounters with an alien named Gordon Shumway, referred to as ALF. Puppeteer Paul Fusco, along with Tom Patchett, co-created the series.

In 2018, Warner Bros. announced plans for an ALF reboot, but the project was later canceled in the same year after failing to find a platform. Recently, Shout! Factory obtained the rights to ALF and intends to develop new related content.

ALF is currently available for streaming on Peacock and Amazon Prime.