'80s child star Benji Gregory and his dog found dead in car in Arizona

Actor Benji Gregory, who played Brian on the hit '80s television show "ALF," was found dead in Peoria, Arizona, on June 13, 2024. He was 46.

TMZ reported the actor's death on Wednesday, July 10.

Gregory and his service dog, a pug named Hans, were found dead in a car in the parking lot of a Chase Bank in Peoria.

In an exclusive interview with TMZ, Gregory's sister Rebecca revealed that "her brother suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and had a sleep disorder that often kept him awake for days."

TMZ reported that the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office said Gregory’s official cause of death is pending. Those close to Gregory believe he fell asleep in his car after depositing residual checks and may have died of heatstroke, TMZ wrote.

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Who was the little boy in 'ALF'?

Benji Gregory played Brian, the middle son of the Tanner family, for all four seasons of "ALF" from 1986 to 1990.

While "ALF" was Gregory's most prominent role, he appeared in television shows including "Murphy Brown," "The A-Team," "The Twilight Zone," "Punky Brewster" and in "The More You Know" series of public service announcements, among many others.

He retired from acting in 1993 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2003. He was honorably discharged in 2005 due to medical issues.

Gregory's sister Rebecca told TMZ that "their family is grieving a great loss and appreciates everyone's thoughts and kind words" and suggests making donations to the Actors' Equity Foundation or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Gregory's name.

The Arizona Republic has reached out to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office and the Peoria Police Department for more information. This article will be updated.

Meredith G. White covers entertainment and culture for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She has the latest news about video games, television and things to do in metro Phoenix. Follow her on X and Instagram @meredithgwhite and onFacebook as Meredith G. White. Email her at [email protected].