(NewsReady.com) – Actor Benji Gregory has died, apparently of natural causes, at the age of 46. Gregory was best known for his role in the 1980s comedy ALF. He later abandoned acting and went on to serve briefly in the US Navy.
Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 26, 1978. He was exposed to acting from an early age; his father, uncle, and sisters were actors, and his grandmother was an agent. His first acting experience came in 1984, when he appeared in an episode of “The A-Team” when he was just six. Over the next two years, he got parts in other shows, including “TJ Hooker,” “Punky Brewster,” “Amazing Stories,” and “The Twilight Zone.” However, his main role came in 1986, when he used the stage name Benji Gregory and was chosen to play Brian Tanner in “ALF.” His role as the younger child of a family who takes in a snarky, cat-eating alien whose ship crash-lands in their yard would continue for the four years and 99 episodes of the show.
After ALF ended in 1990, Gregory picked up two more acting roles, in an episode of “Murphy Brown” and in the made-for-TV movie “Never Forget.” He also studied at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. However, he was already losing interest in acting; he later said, “When ALF was canceled, it was a relief. I didn’t want to do any more shows, but I don’t regret any of it.” After graduating, he changed direction. In 2003, he enlisted in the US Navy and qualified as an Aerographer’s Mate, a technician who collects data on the weather and ocean conditions. He served on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, but after just two years, his career was cut short. In 2005, he received an honorable health discharge.
On June 13, Gregory and his service dog were found dead in his car in a Peoria, Arizona, parking lot. His sister told reporters he had probably fallen asleep in the car and died of heat stroke.
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