Benji Gregory Passed Away!

Benji Gregory, a former child actor best known for his role on ALF passed away from heat illness.

Benji Gregory, a child actor who was best known for his role on the NBC sitcom ALF passed away after he was discovered in his vehicle with his service dog. He was living in Arizona, possibly homeless.

On June 13, 2024, Gregory and his service dog were found dead inside a car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona. Gregory was 46. However, news of his his death was not publicly disclosed until July 10, 2024, when the cause of his death was still under investigation. His sister said Gregory had suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder and said he likely died of a heatstroke after falling asleep in his car.

Gregory, whose legal name was Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg, died on June 13, according to records from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner. The cause of his death is pending.

Gregory’s sister, Rebecca Pfaffinger, told The New York Times that her brother’s body was found in his car in the parking lot of a bank in Peoria, outside Phoenix. He apparently had gone there to deposit some residual checks, she said. His dog Hans also died in the vehicle.

Gregory and his service dog were found in a vehicle dead from excessive heat.

Because the cause of death is still being investigated, it is unknown whether Arizona’s summer heat played a role. The high temperature in metro Phoenix hit 108 F (42.2 C) the day of Gregory’s death, according to National Weather Service records.

Gregory was 8 when he gained fame playing Brian Tanner on the NBC show about a family that took in “ALF” — a hairy alien life form — after the creature’s spaceship crashed. He also appeared in commercials and other TV shows, including “The A-Team” and “Fantasy Island.”

As an adult, Gregory enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became an aerographer’s mate, tracking the weather for aviation and nautical safety, according to the entertainment database IMDb,

There was no word on additional survivors or a memorial service.