Former child star best known for ‘ALF’ found dead in car in Peoria

PHOENIX – A former child actor best known for his role on the hit ’80s sitcom “ALF” reportedly died in Peoria last month.

Benji Gregory, 46, and his service dog Hans were found dead in his car at a bank parking lot on June 13, according to his sister.

Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger said it is believed her brother went to the bank the evening before to make a deposit but never got out of the car.

“He fell asleep and died from vehicular heatstroke,” she wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.

Gregory’s sister told TMZ he suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder that could keep him up for days at a time.

Maricopa County Medical’s Examiner’s Office records confirmed the date of death. As of Thursday morning, the cause and manner of death were listed as pending.

A Peoria Police Department spokesperson told KTAR News 92.3 FM that the circumstances surrounding Gregory’s death remained under investigation.

What else was ‘ALF’ actor known for?

The late actor’s birth name was Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg. According to IMDB, he was born May 26, 1978, in Encino, California.

His first listed acting credits were for episodes of “The A-Team” and “T.J. Hooker” in 1984. A year later, he appeared in two episodes of “Punky Brewster” as well as installments of “Amazing Stories” and “The Twilight Zone.”

Gregory became a star in the role of Brian Tanner on “ALF,” which stands for Alien Life Form. In the primetime television show, a wisecracking alien played by a furry puppet crash lands in the Tanner family’s garage and ends up living with them.

The popular sitcom ran for four seasons from 1986 to 1989.

Gregory had a few credits in the early 1990s, including voice work, before he moved on from acting.

According to Variety, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2003 and received an honorable medical discharge two years later.

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