Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Benji Gregory, the child star who appeared in ALF, has died aged 46
Gregory’s body was found on 13 June, with a cause yet to be determined.
According to TMZ, the actor was found in his car in a Chase Bank car park in Peoria, Arizona alongside the body of his service dog, Hans.
The actor’s sister Rebecca, speaking to the outlet about her brother, revealed that the child star suffered from bipolar disorder, depression and a sleep disorder that sometimes caused him to remain awake for days at a time.
The outlet notes that those close to Gregory believe he might have died of heatstroke after falling asleep in his car.
Gregory appeared in all four seasons of the 1980s sitcom ALF, which is an acronym standing for “Alien Life Form”.
The series, which aired on ITV in the UK, saw the alien crash land in the garage of the Tanner family, led by Max Wright and Anne Scedeen, with Gregory playing their son Brian alongside Andrea Elson, who played his sister Lynn.
Ahead of securing the role in ALF, Gregory, whose grandmother was his agent, appeared in TV shows including Fantasy Island, TJ Hooker and The Twilight Zone.
In the 1990s, he guest starred in the sitcom Punky Brewster and provided a voice for animated film Once Upon a Forest. Gregory also voiced the character of Biff Tannen in an animated version of Robert Zemeckis’s hit 1985 film Back to the Future. Tannen was played by Thomas F Wilson in the franchise.
The following decade, Gregory enlisted in the US Navy and, in 2005, receiving an honourable medical discharge. After officially leaving the Navy in 2006, he married his wife Sarah.
Gregory’s sister asked people to donate to The Actors Equity Foundation or the ASPCA on her brother’s behalf.
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
