Benji Gregory, who starred in the hit TV show Alf, has died at 46.
Gregory’s sister Rebecca confirmed to TMZ that his body was discovered on June 13 inside his car outside a Chase Bank in Peoria, Arizona. The outlet added that loved ones believe he was there dropping off checks the day before, fell asleep in his car, and possibly died from the heat. His service dog, Hans, was also found dead in the vehicle.
According to Deadline, Gregory’s death has been confirmed by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office, but the official cause is still unknown.
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Rebecca also told the outlet that Gregory dealt with depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder.
Camille Jazzy Jenkins, a cousin of Gregory’s, took to Facebook Wednesday and paid tribute to the late actor. “In complete sadness and shock our family has lost one of the most beloved and wonderful men in our small circle,” Jenkins wrote in her post. She also cited “heat exhaustion” as the cause of death.
“It has taken some time to process and come to terms with our loss,” the statement added. “We are not okay.. but take comfort knowing he is with his grandmothers. Please keep his sister, brother and parents in prayer.”
Arizona has endured oppressive heat in recent weeks. Last month, the National Weather Service confirmed June was the hottest on record in the city of Phoenix, with the average temperature of 97 degrees.
Gregory starred in all 103 episodes of the children’s series that ran from 1986 to 1990. It featured ALF, aka Alien Life Form, a hairy creature who is quasi-adopted by the Tanner family whose house his spaceship crashed into. Gregory played Brian Tanner, the son of the family. His stint on the show was his last acting gig, and, per TMZ, he later became a service member in the Navy. He was honorably discharged in 2005.
In a 2022 YouTube interview on the channel BTM Legends Corner, Gregory spoke more about his time on the sitcom. “Actually I don’t really remember any moment or anything like that where I became aware of Alf being a big hit. I do remember that they brought in the Nielsen ratings the day after they came out, so we were always competing with a show called Major Dad.” “We most often won that slot,” Gregory added.
