Benji Gregory, best known for his role as Brian Tanner on the TV show ALF, passed away at 46. He was found deceased in his car on June 13 at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona. Reports indicate that he may have fallen asleep in his vehicle while attempting to deposit checks the day before. Authorities believe his death was due to vehicular heatstroke, as temperatures in Arizona soared to 109 degrees Fahrenheit on June 12. His service dog, Hans, was also found dead in the car. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office is still determining the exact cause of death.
Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, Gregory’s older sister, told sources that Gregory had been battling depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder that often kept him awake for days. Gregory gained fame playing Brian Tanner on ALF, appearing in 101 episodes from 1986 to 1990. The show followed the Tanner family and their interactions with an alien named ALF, created by puppeteer Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett.
In 2018, Warner Bros. announced a plan to reboot ALF, but the project was canceled due to the lack of a platform. Recently, Shout! Factory acquired the rights to ALF and plans to develop new content related to the series. Currently, ALF is available for streaming on Peacock and Amazon Prime.
