According to the actor’s sister, he apparently fell asleep in the car.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.
The body of 46-year-old Benji Gregory, who played one of the main roles in the TV series “Alf” as a child, has been found in Arizona. His death was confirmed by his sister, Rebecca Pfaffinger. The cause of Gregory’s death has not yet been officially announced, writes the American tabloid TMZ.
The American was found dead in his car on June 13 in the parking lot of a bank in Perioria, Arizona. In the cabin with him was his service dog, a pug named Hans, who also died. According to his sister, Gregory apparently stopped at the bank branch the day before to deposit the remaining money in his account and then fell asleep in the car. Heat stroke can lead to death: the air in the car can become very hot in the sun. In June, temperatures in Arizona reached +36°C, the US National Weather Service reported.
In the mid-1980s, when the comedy series “Alf” premiered, 8-year-old Benji Gregory became famous throughout the United States. The series about a daring alien who crashed into the garage of the American Tanner family, after which he stayed at their house and befriended their youngest son, Brian, was a hit with viewers and ran for four seasons, from 1986 to 1990.
Benji Gregory was an active actor until 1993. During this time, his filmography included work in the series “The A-Team”, “Amazing Stories”, “The Twilight Zone” and the film “Jumping Jack” together with Whoopi Goldberg. The actor was invited to voice the cartoons: “Puppy Tales”, “Back to the Future” and “Once Upon a Time in the Woods”.
But the older Gregory got, the less attracted he was to an acting career, even though his father, uncle and sister all worked in the film industry. He himself chose military service, which he entered in 2003. In 2004, he became an airbrush assistant at the US Navy base in Biloxi (Mississippi), but a year later he was discharged for health reasons. According to his sister Rebecca, Gregory suffered from bipolar disorder and severe sleep disorders, sometimes not being able to sleep for several nights in a row. Isn’t this related to the fact that he suddenly fell asleep in the car? Only those close to him knew about Benji’s mental problems. For a long time, Gregory tried to get rid of these illnesses under the supervision of specialists.
After leaving the acting industry, Gregory led a rather private life. It is known that he married a girl named Sarah in 2006, but it is unknown if they were still together at the time of Benji’s death. On social media, Gregory posted his rather gloomy amateur drawings.
Arizona authorities have taken control of the investigation into the former actor’s death. They have reached out to the Medical Examiner’s Office and the police department for more information.
