Former Child Actor Found Dead at 46

(USNewsBreak.com) – “ALF” was a short-lived television series featuring a hairy alien and the family who adopted him. Though it didn’t last long on air, many still revere it as part of the 1980s pop culture. Sadly, the child actor in the show recently passed away.

In a Facebook post dated July 10, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger posted a sad message regarding her brother, Benji Gregory. Police found him deceased in his car on June 13, along with his service dog, Hans, in a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona. His sister believes he was planning to deposit residuals and fell asleep in the vehicle, causing both Gregory and his dog to die of heat stroke. He was just 46.

R.I.P. Benji Gregory: 'ALF' child actor found dead in car at 46 https://t.co/wVBLF9wZDO pic.twitter.com/ZCy7eHNC9I

— Decider (@decider) July 11, 2024

Gregory had played the character of Brian Tanner in the series. He was Alf’s best friend and pseudo-sibling. Critics didn’t consider the series premiere TV by any means, but decades after it went off the air, it still had fan clubs worldwide. In fact, Gregory said a sizable amount of his fan mail came from Germany in a 2022 interview.

Born Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg in May 1978, Gregory began working in show business as a baby when he appeared in commercials. Both his mother, who served as his manager, and his paternal grandmother, a talent agent, helped propel his career.

During his childhood, he also appeared in other shows, including “Punky Brewster,” “Amazing Stories,” and “The A-Team.” Gregory landed a few movie roles, too. Fans can see him in the 1986 movie, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with Whoopi Goldberg, and he garnered a part as a voice actor in the animated film “Once Upon A Forest.”

In his 20s, Gregory moved away from the movie industry and joined the US Navy, where he worked on an aircraft carrier as a weatherman. He received an honorable discharge from the service.

The former child star regularly posted about psychological disorders on social media, and his sister confirmed that doctors had diagnosed her brother with depression and bipolar disorder. He was receiving treatment for both.

Gregory leaves behind his parents, step-parents, sister, and brother.