Who did Benji Gregory play on ALF? Former child stars dies aged 46, heatstroke suspected

Former actor Benji Gregory, 46, was recently discovered dead in his car in Peoria, Arizona. He gained recognition over the years for portraying Brian Tanner in the NBC sitcom, ALF. Benji's vehicle was found in a parking lot at Chase Bank on June 13, 2024.

Apart from him, Benji's dog was also found dead inside. While the cause of death has not been confirmed until now, Gregory's relatives believe that heatstroke could be one of the reasons behind his demise since the temperature in Arizona was reported to be around 109F degrees on the previous day.

Benji Gregory's sister Rebecca Hertzberg-Plaffinger shared a tribute post through Facebook on Thursday, July 11. It included a few photos of Benji and Rebecca also wrote:

"Ben was a great Son, Brother and Uncle. He was fun to be around and made us laugh quite often. Still, going through his things. I find myself laughing at little videos or notes of his, in between crying."

Gregory's work in ALF helped him to accumulate a huge fanbase over the years. His character Brian was the youngest member of the Tanner family and he was six years old when he first appeared on the show. He developed a close friendship with ALF alongside David who requested a sleepover twice at Tanner family's residence.

In the last episode, Brian's last request to his father was to do something after witnessing the Alien Tak Force arrive to capture ALF and when ALF's friends failed to pick him up.

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Benji Gregory served in the U.S. Navy for a brief period: Career and other details explained

Also known as Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg, he grew up in a family full of actors. His siblings include a brother named Matthew alongside a sister, Becky. Benjamin also struggled with problems such as bipolar disorder and depression over the years and was undergoing treatment for the same.

As mentioned, he became popular for his appearances in ALF and played the role of Dash in another sitcom, Punky Brewster. He was featured in many other shows such as The More You Know and Fun House. Apart from these, Benji Gregory was cast in shows like Murphy Brown, The A-Team, Amazing Stories, Fantastic Max, and more.

In an interview with People magazine in 2000, Benji Gregory opened up on his experience of working in ALF and recalled that he was used to "messing around" with the crew members working on the show.

He was residing in San Francisco at the time of the interview with three more people. He even addressed his career after the end of ALF by saying that he would love to appear in TV and films again. He further stated:

"I was on a lot of stupid cartoons. Voice-overs are easy, and I wasn't actively trying to act anymore."

In 2003, he enrolled in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). Gregory was discharged from duty in 2005 and was romantically linked to Sarah Hall after meeting her at the Academy of Art College, where he completed his graduation. He said that his work on ALF helped him to pay his rent without any issues.

Benji Gregory was married to Hall since 2006 and further details related to his funeral and cause of death are currently awaited.