Benji Gregory, who played Brian Tanner in the hugely popular 80s sitcom ALF, was found dead in his car on June 13 in Peoria, Arizona, alongside his service dog Hans
Alf child star Benji Gregory‘s cause of death has been revealed – three months after he tragically passed away at the age of 46 in an Arizona car park. Benji, who is fondly remembered for his role as Brian Tanner in the popular 1980s sitcom that ran for four years until 1990, was discovered dead in his car in Peoria, Arizona, on June 13. Tragically, his service dog Hans was also found deceased alongside him.
According to TMZ, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner has stated that the former child star’s death was due to heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis. The scorching Arizona sun is believed to have contributed to his untimely death, and he also had liver scarring caused by long-term damage to the organ, as reported by the US outlet.
At the time of Gregory’s death, his sister Rebecca Pfaffinger confirmed the sad news and paid a heartfelt tribute to her brother, remembering him as “fun to be around”. In a Facebook post, she wrote: “It is with a heavy heart my family has suffered a loss way too early. Ben was a great Son, Brother and Uncle. He was fun to be around and made us laugh quite often.
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“Still, going through his things, I find myself laughing at little videos or notes of his, in between crying.” She further explained the circumstances surrounding his death, saying: “My brother Ben was found in his car, along with his beloved service dog Hans, deceased on June 13.
We believe he went there the evening of the 12th to deposit some residuals (Found in his car) and never got out of the car to do so. He fell asleep and died from vehicular heatstroke.” Benji had battled with depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder that could keep him awake for days, Pfaffinger revealed to TMZ.
At the tender age of eight, Benji joined the cast of Alf as Brian Tanner. The show revolved around a middle-class family whose lives are turned upside down when an alien from planet Melmac crash lands in their garage.
The Tanner family welcome the creature into their home, who they affectionately name ALF an acronym for Alien Life Form. ALF, real name Gordon Shumway, is brought to life by a puppeteer and causes chaos while expressing his bewilderment at what he perceives as human stupidity.
Interacting with Alf became second nature, Gregory once shared on BTM Legends Corner. After the much-loved series concluded after 99 episodes, Gregory continued his acting career with roles in The A-Team, Punky Brewster, Fantastic Max, T. J. Hooker, The Twilight Zone, and Amazing Stories.
