'ALF' child star Benji Gregory, 46, and his dog found dead inside his car in Arizona bank parking lot

PEORIA, ARIZONA: 'ALF' child star Benji Gregory was reportedly found dead in an Arizona bank parking lot at the age of 46.

Gregory, who portrayed Brian Tanner in the beloved 1986–1990 sitcom, was found dead in his car with his service dog, Hans, on June 13, 2024, in a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona, the Daily Mail reported.

Benji Gregory reportedly died from vehicular heatstroke

According to TMZ, Benji Gregory's sister Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger revealed that he battled bipolar disorder, depression, and a sleep ailment that "often kept him awake for days."

As per the outlet, people who know Gregory well believe that he was going to the bank to deposit checks when he passed out in his car.

They consider that Gregory died from vehicular heatstroke. The temperature reached 109 degrees when he was in Arizona on June 12. The outlet added that his service dog Hans was also found dead inside the car.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office informed ABC7 Los Angeles that the former child star's cause of death remains under investigation.

Gregory's sister Rebecca added that their family has been mourning for Gregory and that they are grateful for the kind words and best wishes during this trying time.

She recommended that fans of the deceased actor send donations in Gregory's honor to organizations he would have supported, such as the ASPCA or the Actors Equity Foundation, according to Page Six.

Benji Gregory rose to fame playing Brian Tanner in 'ALF' from 1986 to 1990

Benji Gregory rose to national prominence as Brian Tanner on 'ALF' where he starred in 101 episodes. The show ran on television from 1986 to 1990.

The story picks up after the titular character—whose abbreviation was 'Alien Life Form', and whose real name was Gordon Shumway—crash-landed into the Tanner family's suburban garage.

The actor also made appearances as a guest star on 'The A-Team' and 'The Twilight Zone' in the 1980s as well as in TV pilots 'Fenster Hall', 'Mr Boogedy', and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'.

In 2003, Gregory left the entertainment industry to join the US Navy. After enlisting in 2003, he completed his training to become an aerographer's mate with a focus on oceanography and meteorology, Variety reported.

He was honorably medically discharged from the Navy in 2005, and shortly after his service ended in 2006, he married Sarah Gregory.

In a 2000 interview with People, Gregory addressed his work on 'ALF' by stating, "The only times it felt like work was when the lights were on, and it was real hot."

He admitted that he was "relieved" that 'ALF' was canceled since he was done acting, but he also declared that he "didn’t regret any of it."

Tributes pour in as Benji Gregory's sister announces his death

Social media users paid tribute to Benji Gregory after the actor's sister announced his death due to vehicular heat stroke.

One X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "Oh dam . I swear my heart stopped . Thank god Alf is still with us."

"@ColeyMick and whiskers need to stop bringing up random thoughts on their podcast…first it was Willie Mays and now this?!?!" asked another user.

One person wrote, "This hurts. Benji Gregory was a sweet, down to earth child actor and when us teens were partying, he was a straight edged skater. I'll never forget he wrote in my yearbook "Hope you become Miss America someday."

"He will truly be missed. R.I.P Benji Gregory," remarked another.

"Sad news I watched alf from the first season in 1986 until the series finale," one individual said.

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