Michu Meszaros, the actor who provided the body for the title character in the hit ’80s sitcom ALF, is in a coma after having been found unconscious last week, TMZ reports.
Representatives for Meszaros say that the actor has been struggling with his health for nearly a decade, suffering from the repercussions of a stroke eight years ago.
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Meszaros, who was 33″ tall when at his most famous, was found by his manager, Dennis Varga. It was Varga who called 911 and had the 76-year-old taken to a hospital.
ALF, for those who don’t remember, was about a sarcastic, cat-eating alien who was stranded on Earth and taken in by family. In the vein of I Dream of Jeannie, much of the humor centered on the family trying to explain away their eccentric behavior without telling those around them that they had taken in an alien life form. The show was a massive hit, spawning an animated series, a comic book, trading cards, and more.
The character of ALF was voiced by series creator Paul Fusco, who also served as puppeteer for the times when the character was stationary. Meszaros wore the costume when the story called for walking or running shots, when conventional puppetry wouldn’t look as good.
Meszaros, who got his start at Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus, has appeared in numerous television and film projects besides ALF, including Big Top Pee-Wee, Look Who’s Talking (he was a stunt performer for one of the babies) and Freaked. His first on-screen appearance was in H.R. Pufnstuf, and his last was in Warlock: The Armageddon.
In the 1980s the city of Hawthorne, California named their shortest street in the City “Michu Lane” in honor of the performer.
