ALF child star Benji Gregory’s cause of death revealed 3 months after he was found-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Benji Gregory was found dead in his car in June (Picture: Benji Gregory/Instagram)

ALF child star Benji Gregory’s cause of death at the age of 46 has been revealed three months after he was found deceased in an Arizona car park.

Gregory is best known for his role as Brian Tanner in the 1980s sitcom, which ran for four years until 1990.

On June 13 Gregory was found dead in his car in Peoria, Arizona, alongside service dog Hans, who had also died.

The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner say the former child star died due to heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis, according to TMZ.

The hot Arizona sun was thought to have led to his death, and he also had scarring of the liver caused by long-term damage to the organ, according to the US outlet.

His sister Rebecca Pfaffinger confirmed Gregory’s death at the time, and remembered him as ‘fun to be around’.

Writing on Facebook, she said: ‘It is with a heavy heart my family has suffered a loss way too early.

He died alongside his dog Hans (Picture: INSTAGRAM)

‘Ben was a great Son, Brother and Uncle. He was fun to be around and made us laugh quite often.

‘Still, going through his things, I find myself laughing at little videos or notes of his, in between crying.

‘My brother Ben was found in his car, along with his beloved service dog Hans, deceased on June 13.

‘We believe he went there the evening of the 12th to deposit some residuals. (Found in his car) and never got out of the car to do so. He fell asleep and died from vehicular heatstroke.’

Gregory was a child star in the 1980s (Picture: Nbc/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Gregory had lived with depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder that could keep him awake for days, Pfaffinger told TMZ.

Gregory joined ALF when he was eight years old as Brian Tanner. The show followed a middle-class family whose lives are turned on their head when an alien from planet Melmac crash lands in their garage.

The Tanner family allow the creature to stay with them, who they name ALF – short for Alien Life Form, and he causes mischief while marvelling at what he perceives as the stupidity of mankind.

He starred on the 80s show ALF for four years (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

ALF, real name Gordon Shumway, is performed by a puppeteer. Gregory said of the experience on BTM Legends Corner: ‘It became quite natural to interact with ALF.’

After the popular series ended after 99 episodes, Gregory went on to feature in The A-Team, Punky Brewster, Fantastic Max, T.J. Hooker, The Twilight Zone, and Amazing Stories.

Gregory, whose father, uncle and sister were also actors, had film credits in Whoopi Goldberg-starring Jumpin’ Jack Flash, and adventure animation, Once Upon a Forest.

He stopped acting and joined the US Navy in 2003, becoming an aerographer’s mate. He married his wife Sarah in 2006 after being discharged, but it is not known if they are still wed.

‘I didn’t want to do any more shows but I don’t regret any of it,’ he previously told People.

Pfaffinger has suggested donations to The Actors Equity Foundation or the ASPCA in Gregory’s name, as they are causes he would have supported.

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