It's a sad day for fans of the sitcom ALF. Benji Gregory, who played Brian Tanner for over 100 episodes, has died at 46. The former actor actually passed away in June, but news of his death has surfaced now.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Bystanders found the late actor deceased in his car. He was parked outside of a Chase Bank located in Peoria, Arizona, according to TMZ. According to the outlet, his family believed that he visited the bank to deposit checks the day before. That's when he fell asleep inside of his car.
His family believes that he died from a vehicular heatstroke. In Arizona, temperatures reached 109 degrees on June 12. The actor's service dog, Hans, was also in the car, and the dog also died. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office told ABC7 Los Angeles that they're still conducting a look into his cause of death.
However, according to his sister, Gregory had depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder. Gregory played Brian Tanner on ALF from 1986 to 1990. Following his passing, several fans and colleagues took to social media to mourn his passing. One person wrote, "This hurts. Benji Gregory was a sweet, down-to-earth child actor and when us teens were partying, he was a straight-edged skater. I'll never forget he wrote in my yearbook 'Hope you become Miss America someday.'"
Fans Mourn Benji Gregory's Passing
Another wrote, "Benji Gregory, best known for his role on 'Alf,' passed away on June 13 aged 46. His sister, Rebecca, informed TMZ that he was found dead in his car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, AZ. The cause of death is still pending, but it is believed he died from vehicular heatstroke after falling asleep in his car. Gregory suffered from depression, bipolar disorder, and a sleep disorder that sometimes kept him awake for days. He was with his service dog, Hans, who also died."
Another person wrote, "D--n, that's heartbreaking. Such sad news about Benji Gregory. RIP to him and his dog. Life can be really cruel sometimes." Yet another wrote, "We're very saddened here to learn of the death last month of the great Benji Gregory at only 46 who, as Brian Tanner, was the catalyst for some of ALF's finest shenanigans, and also wore some tip top shirts. Extremely sad news, and we'll raise a glass to him today."