‘Alf’ Star Benji Gregory Dies at 46 Due to Arizona Heatwave

Benji Gregory, who starred in the hit TV series Alf, died at the age of 46.

Gregory’s sister, Rebecca, confirmed to TMZ that his body was discovered on June 13 in his car outside a Chase Bank in Peoria, Arizona. The outlet added that his loved ones believe he had come to deposit checks the day before, had fallen asleep in his car, and may have died from the heat. His service dog, Hans, was also found dead in the vehicle.

According to Deadline, Gregory’s death was confirmed by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office, but the official cause is still unknown.

Rebecca also told the outlet that Gregory suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and sleep disturbances.

Camille Jazzy Jenkins, a cousin of Gregory, took to Facebook on Wednesday to pay tribute to the late actor. “It is with deep sadness and complete shock that our family has lost one of the most beloved and wonderful men in our small circle,” Jenkins wrote in her post. She also cited “heat exhaustion” as the cause of death.

“It has taken us some time to come to terms with our loss,” the statement added. “We are not feeling well…but we can take comfort in knowing he is with his grandmothers. Please keep his sister, brother and parents in our prayers.”

Arizona has been experiencing scorching heat in recent weeks. Last month, National Weather Service June was confirmed to be the hottest month on record in the city of Phoenix, with an average temperature of 97 degrees.

Gregory starred in all 103 episodes of the children’s series, which aired from 1986 to 1990. It stars ALF, aka Alien Life Form, a furry creature who is virtually adopted by the Tanner family after their spaceship crashes into their home. Gregory plays Brian Tanner, the family’s son. His time on the series was his last acting role, and according to TMZ, he later became a Navy officer. He was honorably discharged in 2005.

In a 2022 YouTube interview on the BTM Legends Corner channel, Gregory spoke more about his time on the sitcom. “I actually don’t really remember a moment or anything like that where I became aware of Alf a big hit. I remember they introduced Nielsen ratings the day after they came out, so we were always competing with a show called Adult dad“We won that slot most of the time,” Gregory added.