Found in a parked car "Alf" child star Benji Gregory is dead
Mourning for an ex-child star: Benji Gregory once played the best friend of sitcom alien "Alf". Now he has died in his parked car under as yet unexplained circumstances.
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- Benji Gregory, best known as Brian Tanner from "Alf", died at the age of 46; his body was found in a car on June 13, the cause of death is unclear.
- Gregory suffered from depression and sleep problems; his family suspects heatstroke as a possible cause.
- After "Alf", he withdrew from the public eye, served in the navy and most recently lived in Arizona.
He was the best buddy of the fuzzy alien "Alf". In the 1980s, millions of viewers around the world got to know Benji Gregory in the role of Tanner's son Brian. The sitcom "Alf" enjoyed huge success from 1986 to 1990.
Now Gregory, whose real name was Benjamin Hertzberg, has died at the age of 46. As his sister Rebecca confirmed to the US portal "TMZ", the ex-serial actor was found lifeless in his car, which was parked in the parking lot of a bank, on 13 June. The cause of death is still unclear.
According to his sister, Gregory had recently been suffering from depression, bipolar disorder and sleep problems. The family believes that the 46-year-old fell asleep in his car and may have died as a result of heatstroke. Arizona is currently experiencing extreme heat. His dog Hans was also recovered dead from the car.
After "Alf", Benji Gregory was almost never seen on TV again
The 102-part hit sitcom "Alf" about the titular extraterrestrial with a few quite earthly vices had made Benji Gregory a child star. Born in California, he was just eight years old when the show was first broadcast in 1986. His career in film and television was not destined to last.
He quickly dropped his stage name Benji Gregory: after the end of "Alf", Benjamin Hertzberg was hardly ever seen on TV - his last speaking role was in 1993. Instead, he joined the navy and lived with his wife Sarah in Arizona. From there, he ran a somewhat obscure YouTube channel.
