Benji Gregory, Who Played Brian Tanner On Classic NBC Series ALF, Dead at 46

Benji Gregory, the former child star who played young Brian Tanner on NBC's classic sci-fi sitcom ALF has passed away at the age of 46. Gregory's sister, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, confirmed the unfortunate news to TMZ, revealing that her brother was found dead in his car on June 13. The vehicle was parked in the parking lot of a Chase Bank location in Peoria, Arizona.

"It is with a heavy heart my family has suffered a loss way too early," Hertzberg-Pfaffinger added on Facebook. "Ben was a great Son, Brother, and Uncle. 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."

Benji Gregory, Former ALF Child Star, Found Dead in His Car, Aged 46

While an official cause of death is still pending, it is believed Gregory was at the bank to deposit residual checks, fell asleep, and succumbed to "vehicular heatstroke" as a result of the intense desert heat. According to his sister, the actor suffered from depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep issue that deprived him of rest for days at a time. Gregory's service dog, a pug named Hans, also perished.

The bulk of Gregory's acting career spanned the mid-1980s and early '90s, with guest appearances on such shows as The A-Team, T. J. Hooker, Punky Brewster, and Amazing Stories. His most famous role, of course, was that of Brian Tanner, the youngest member of the family harboring the long-snouted extra-terrestrial known as ALF (a handy acronym for Alien Life Form).

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"There was actually a lot of focus on the technical aspects of the show," Gregory recalled in 2022, referring to the fact that ALF was nothing more than a puppet. "In other words, they told me things like, 'Make sure you look at ALF, don't look at the puppeteer.' The set was actually built about five feet off the ground, just so ALF would have a platform to move around and make sure that he was able to go into certain positions and all of that. All of these things were explained to me ahead of time to make sure that I knew what was going to be coming."

By the time the series came to an end after a four-year run between 1986 and 1990, Gregory wasn't particularly torn up about saying goodbye to his cosmic co-star. "It started getting pretty boring after a while, doing the show, playing the same character for four years," he confessed in a 1991 interview with Swedish TV1. "It takes so much out of you to do that."

Per Deadline, "Gregory left entertainment in 2003 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, later becoming an aerographer’s mate. In 2005, he received an honorable medical discharge from the Navy."

If you'd like to revisit Gregory's memorable work as Brian Tanner, all four seasons of ALF are now streaming on Peacock. Those looking to honor the actor's memory are asked to make a donation to the Actors Equity Foundation or the ASPCA.