Benji Gregory, a former actor best known for portraying Brian Tanner on the beloved sitcom ALF, has passed away at the age of 46. Gregory’s passing, which occurred on Thursday, June 13th, was confirmed by his sister Rebecca via a recent report from TMZ. Gregory was reportedly found deceased in his car in the parking lot of a Chase Bank in Peoria, AZ. Reports indicate that Gregory’s service dog, Hans, was also found dead in the car. According to Rebecca, Gregory had depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder that often kept him awake for days. The cause of death has not been confirmed at this time, although his family reportedly believes it might have been vehicular heatstroke.
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Gregory was born Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg on May 26, 1978 in Los Angeles, California, to a family of actors. He got his start in Hollywood by guest starring on shows such asย The A-Team, T.J. Hooker, The Twilight Zoneย and Steven Spielberg’sย Amazing Stories.ย His big break arrived with the debut of ALF in 1986, as he ultimately played the role of middle child Brian Tanner for more than 100 episodes before the series finished its run in 1990.
The other role Gregory might have been best known-for was Dash, an orphan on the TV sitcom Punky Brewster. Gregory was set to be among the stars of a Punky Brewster spinoff series, Fenster Hall, but it did not get picked up for production. He also appeared on a slew of nonfiction children’s television shows, including I’m Telling, Fun House, The Dating Game, and The More You Know.ย On the film side, Gregory made appearances in the 1986 spy comedy Jumpin’ Jack Flash, as well as the 1993 animated movie Once Upon a Forest.ย
Gregory left the entertainment industry in the early 2000s, enlisting in the United States Navy in 2003 and serving as an aerographer’s mate. He received an honorable medical discharge from the Navy in 2005, and married his wife Sarah a year later.
Our thoughts are with Gregory’s family, friends, and fans at this time.
