Instagram/Alien Productions/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Benji Gregory, best known for his work as a child star on the 1980s NBC sitcom ALFwas found dead on June 13.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death but has not yet determined a cause of death. TMZ reported that he was found in his car in a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona. His service dog, Hans, was also found dead in the vehicle.
The actor’s sister, Rebecca, told TMZ that her brother suffered from depression and bipolar disorder and had a sleep disorder that often left him awake for days. His service dog was also found dead, the site reported.
Gregory played middle son Brian Tanner in over 100 episodes of ALF-, which aired from 1986-90. It followed the Earthly adventures of a furry alien from the planet Melmac who crashes his spaceship into the Tanners’ garage. Nicknamed ALF (for Alien Life Form) and voiced by Paul Fusco, the creature often made fun of human habits and was a cat lover — though not in the usual sense.
DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO:
The series — whose main cast also included Max Wright, Anne Schedeen and Andrea Elson — moved nights frequently during its run, but was the #10 show in all of primetime during its second season in 1987-88. You can watch the full first episode of the sitcom below, via Shout! Studios, which ALF distribution rights in 2022.
Gregory was born on May 26, 1978 in a suburb of Los Angeles and began his television career at a young age with guest roles in the mid-1980s, such as The A-Team, TJ Hooker, Punky Brewster, The Twilight Zone and Steven Spielbergs Great stories.
During the day ALF‘s run, he also voiced a character in Fantastic Max and later the voice of Biff Tannen Jr. in the 1991-92 animated comedy series Back to the future. He also appeared in a 1991 episode of Murphy Brown and had a small role in the 1986 spy comedy directed by Penny Marshall Jumping Jack Flash, starring Whoopi Goldberg. He also appeared in commercials for McDonald’s and others.
Gregory left the entertainment industry in 2003 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he later became an aerographer’s mate. He received an honorable medical discharge from the Navy in 2005.
Gregory’s sister suggests making a donation on her brother’s behalf to The Actors Equity Foundation or the ASPCA.
