While each decade has its own television shows that leave a mark, the 1980s was full of some truly great comedy television. It was the era when we first met Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. We met the Tanners on Full House and the Seavers on Growing Pains.
Then, there was Cheers, The Golden Girls, The Cosby Show, Family Matters, and Silver Spoons. And we can’t forget about iconic shows like Miami Vice, Roseanne, Murder, She Wrote, and Unsolved Mysteries.
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One of the biggest comedies of the late 1980s was ALF, a show about an alien who crash-lands in the garage of the middle-class Tanner family living in Southern California. ALF — which stands for Alien Life Form — was forced to flee his home planet when it was destroyed in a nuclear war.
The Tanners take ALF (whose real name is Gordon Shumway) into their house and hide him from the Alien Task Force. They must try especially hard to keep him out of sight from their nosy neighbors, the Ochmenoks.
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ALF ended in 1990, but fans still remember the wonderful times they had watching the show and the laughs that were delivered. Sadly, we have learned that one of the show’s stars has died in an incredibly tragic way.
Actor Benji Gregory, who played middle child Brian Tanner, has died at the young age of 46. According to initial reports, the actor was found dead in his car on June 13 outside a bank in Arizona. Sadly, his service dog was with him and was also found deceased.
Gregory’s sister, Rebecca, confirmed his sudden passing to TMZ:
His death certificate confirms that date, and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office tells us Benji’s cause of death is still pending.
Rebecca tells us her brother suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and had a sleep disorder that often kept him awake for days.Those close to him believe he went to the bank to deposit residual checks on the 12th, fell asleep in his car and tragically died from vehicular heatstroke due to Arizona’s intense summer heat.
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Rebecca said she is thankful for everyone’s thoughts and kind messages about her brother. She said that if people would like to honor him, they can donate to The Actors Equity Foundation or the ASPCA, two causes he supported.
Gregory’s sister said that the child star suffered from bipolar disorder and depression. Medications to treat these illnesses can make those who take them more susceptible to heat-related problems. One of the side effects of heatstroke is loss of consciousness.
So, it is possible that, as Mr. Gregory’s sister suspects, the young man fell asleep in his car and, when his body got too hot, he passed out.
After starring in ALF, Benji did appear in a number of other television shows, including The Twilight Zone, Fantastic Max, and the Back to the Future series. However, he left the entertainment industry in 2003 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was given an honorable medical discharge in 2005.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Benji Gregory.
