2024 has seen the passing of many legendary actors who have graced our screens for many years, from Donald Sutherland who died aged 88, to Meg Bennett. Unfortunately, we have also lost other actors whose time came too soon.
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46-year-old Benji Gregory, well known for his role in hit sitcom ALF, was discovered lifeless in his car in a parking lot of a bank branch in the US state of Arizona on 13 June. His death was just announced by his sister Rebecca Pfaffinger.
She revealed that his service dog had also died in the car in a Facebook post. She said, as quoted by Sky News:
My brother Ben was found in his car, along with his beloved service dog Hans, deceased on 13 June.
Talking about the cause of death, she said he fell asleep and 'died from vehicular heatstroke'. However, the police have told The Sun US that the 'circumstances surrounding his death' are still under investigation.
It seems the actor had his fair share of health problems as Pfaffinger told TMZ that the ALF star suffered from depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder.
Benji Gregory was only eight years old when he first became internationally famous through the series. Let's take a look at his career.
Benji Gregory's big break
Despite a few supporting roles in blockbuster films like Fantastic Max, The A-Team, and T.J. Hooker, Gregory's most notable performance was in ALF.
ALF is an American sitcom that aired from 1986 to 1990. The series, created by Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett, is about an alien named Gordon Shumway who crash lands on Earth and finds shelter with an average American family, the Tanners. ALF stands for Alien Life Form.
The main character is a furry, orange alien creature from the planet Melmac who makes life difficult for the Tanner family. At the same time, he brings a lot of humor and chaos into their everyday lives. Paul Fusco was both the puppeteer andthe voice of Alf.
The Tanners consist of the good-natured family father Willie Tanner, played by Max Wright, who often takes on the role of mediator, the pragmatic and sometimes skeptical mother Kate Tanner, played by Anne Schedeen, the teenage daughter Lynn, played by Andrea Elson, and the younger son Brian, played by Benji Gregory.
The series revolves around the misadventures and adventures Alfexperiences as he adapts to life on Earth. He has to hide from authorities and nosy neighbors as the Tanner family protects him and tries to keep his existence a secret.
His life after ALF
Unfortunately, that was Gregory's one and only big role in the industry. In 2003, he retired from showbiz for good and joined the US Navy. His tenure was not long, as he was released in 2005 with an 'honorable medical discharge', as per The Sun.
In 2006, he got married to his wife Sarah, however no other information is known about their relationship and whether they were still together at the time of this death.
This article has been translated from Ohmymag DE.
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