What Happened To Benji Gregory? The ALF Child Star's Tragic Death, Explained

Benji Gregory, best known as the innocent Brian Tanner, best friend to the titular wiseacre alien creature in the NBC sitcom "ALF," has passed away. He was 46 years old. Gregory's death was confirmed by his sister, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, in a Facebook post on July 10. The former actor passed away on June 13 in his car in the parking lot of a Chase Bank location in Peoria, Arizona.

Those close to him told TMZ that they believe Gregory may have fallen asleep in his car due to a sleep disorder while depositing a royalty check at the bank. They blame his death on vehicular heatstroke, but his cause of death is still pending official word from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office. Gregory's service dog, Hans, also passed away in the car. 

Besides his sleep disorder, Gregory also suffered from depression and bipolar disorder, all of which he was receiving treatment for at the time of his passing. Gregory's sister has asked "ALF" fans to spare her brother a kind word and to donate to the ASPCA or The Actors Equity Foundation in his name. Benji Gregory's acting career did branch beyond "ALF" — and took him on a surprising journey through Hollywood that led him to an interesting occupation as an adult. 

While Benji Gregory might be best known for his time on "ALF," he also guest-starred on several sitcoms and appeared in one movie during his career as a child actor. He popped up on "The A-Team," "Punky Brewster," "T.J. Hooker," and "Murphy Brown." His sole big-screen role was in Penny Marshall's "Jumping Jack Flash." Gregory also maintained a voiceover acting career, playing Biff Tannen Jr. on "Back to the Future: The Animated Series" and Ben Letterman on "Fantastic Max."

He later said that he didn't regret joining the cast of "ALF," even if it didn't permanently enamor him with the acting world. "The only times it felt like work was when the lights were on and it was real hot," he told People. But he admitted he was done with Hollywood by the time the series was finished. He went on to study film at the Academy of Art College — intending to stay in the industry in some behind-the-scenes capacity — but ended up enlisting in the Navy. There, he became an aerographer's mate and eventually received an honorable medical discharge in 2005. But audiences still remember him fondly as Brian and — thanks to a 24/7 Shout! Factory streaming channel that shows episodes of the series and an upcoming Ryan Reynolds-led reboot of "ALF" — he definitely won't be forgotten.