“ALF” star Benji Gregory met his demise in what his family believes is an accident. He was luckily not alone in his last moments. The late actor has since received many tributes and sadly not long before his passing, his family lost someone else dear to them.
Benji Gregory’s family, friends, and fans are all in mourning after losing the actor unexpectedly after he fell asleep in his car. His death was confirmed by those close to him.
A relative also revealed some of the medical issues that he’d suffered from before passing. Benji was still grieving after losing his grandmother a few years ago. Here’s what happened to the star.
What Happened to Benji?
Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg, known as Benji Gregory, passed away at age 46. He was the child star well-known for starring in 1986’s “ALF.” Speaking to a publication, his older sister, Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, revealed that he was found dead in his car on June 13, 2024.
The late actor’s car was found in Peoria, Arizona’s Chase Bank parking lot. People close to him believed he went to deposit residual checks on the evening of June 12 and accidentally fell asleep in the car.
The cause of death hasn’t been confirmed by the publication, which said the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office is still investigating the cause of death which is pending. Reports also stated that Hans, Benji’s service pug, also died.
His death certificate confirmed the date of his demise. In April 2021, he seemed to foreshadow his passing when he shared a black-and-white photo of himself winking, cryptically writing, “Before I die.” Some of his family members and fans have since paid tribute to him.
Tributes Pour in for Benji
On July 10, 2024, Benji’s sister and cousin took to Facebook to honor him. Sharing various family photos of the late actor with family, she confirmed his passing with a “heavy heart.” She said he had been a great son, uncle, and brother.
Rebecca recalled how fun he was to be around and how often he made them laugh. While going through his things, she found herself alternating between laughing and crying at some notes and videos. The rest of her post confirmed how he’d died.
Sharing various pictures of Benji Gregory, his cousin, Camille Jazzy Jenkins, also mourned his death. She said she never imagined that she’d ever have to share such news. Camille noted how she and the family were completely sad and shocked to have lost “one of the most beloved and wonderful men” in their “small circle.”
The late actor’s cousin shared how it has taken some time for them to come to terms with and process the loss. Sharing how they are handling the death, she said they are “not okay” but took comfort in knowing he was with his grandmothers.
Camille concluded by asking readers to keep his siblings and parents in their prayers before declaring her love for him. The day after the news of Benji’s death, TMZ-TV uploaded an Instagram photo of the late star, revealing his death.
Fans rushed to share their condolences, with one person writing, “Such a bummer. ALF is one of my favorite shows from the 80s… I still watch it. RIP little brother…” Another ALF fan said, “Aww damn. Thank you for the childhood I had. Loved Alf.”
A heartbroken reader noted, “Dang!!!! I grew up on Alf!!!!” A fourth person shared, “Aww so sad, so young, thanks for the laughs, RIP.” Some Daily Mail readers who read about Benji’s passing were also shaken by his death.
A reader thought the news was “terribly sad” and revealed they used to watch “ALF.” The person noted how Arizona’s dry heat has been breaking records over the past several days. They noted how awful it was that one day reached a high of 118°F and then a low of 93°F.
The reader was concerned that monsoons were on the way to get rid of the dryness. They sent their “deepest condolences” to Benji’s family and friends and blessed “his sweet little Pug, his best friend and service dog.”
Benji Gregory and his “ALF” co-stars on season 1 of the show in a post uploaded on April 1, 2022 | Source: YouTube/Shout! Studio
The Daily Mail reader concluded by saying, “Fair winds and following seas, my fellow shipmate! Godspeed.” Another reader also thought the news was heartbreaking and shared how they also loved “ALF” growing up, adding, “RIP.”
Someone else thought the late actor’s death was “bizarre.” Here’s what we know about the late actor’s childhood, background, and acting career.
What Do We Know about His Background?
Benji was welcomed by Patti and Manny on May 26, 1978, in Panorama City, California. Besides his sister, he also had a younger brother called Matthew. Acting was a family legacy with his father, sister, and uncle all working as actors.
His grandmother also worked in the entertainment industry, where she served as his agent. He practically grew up in front of cameras and was no stranger to doing commercials, having done dozens of them. By the time he was five, he started doing television auditions.
Max Wright, Andrea Elson, Anne Schedeen, and Benji Gregory at the NBC Television Affiliates Party on June 2, 1987, in Century City, California | Source: Getty Images
The first time he got to act was in 1977’s “Fantasy Island.” He then received guest-starring parts in 1982’s “T.J. Hooker,” 1983’s “The A-Team,” 1985’s “The Twilight Zone,” and “Amazing Stories.” Benji also appeared in the television pilot for “Fenster Hall.”
He was featured in the 1986 movie “Mr. Boogedy.” That year also saw him appearing in “Thompson’s Last Run” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” From 1986 until 1990, he acted as Brian Tanner on 101 episodes of “ALF.”
Outside of work, he had a hobby of collecting things, and his three favorites were shells, rocks, and Garbage Pail Kids cards. His IMDb account also noted that the celebrity was married to a woman named Sarah. But it doesn’t reveal the date when they tied the knot. A few years before his death, he suffered a great loss.
Benji’s Grandmother’s Death and How He Handled It
Sharing a picture of his mother sitting with two dogs, Woody and Ivan, in July 2022, Benji said he had news for his followers and friends. He said in October 2021, he moved into a new apartment with his Pug.
For nine months, things were going well except two weeks before his post went up. Suddenly, the air conditioning went out, and maintenance was only done after five days. Sadly, those days were a “nightmare” for him.
For the last couple of days, he ended up going to a nearby hotel to escape the issues at his place. Three weeks before uploading his post, his grandmother passed away in his mother’s house. The star said the 95-year-old suffered from dementia, and the disease had gotten quite bad in the last year of her life.
Benji appeared to be rambling on as he mentioned that “ALF” was streaming on Amazon’s FreeVee. He also revealed that Hans had to go get shaved soon because the dog was shedding uncontrollably. The celebrity shared that it was 4 a.m. when he wrote the post, and the dog was sleeping peacefully.
He said the dog gave him a lot of “love and tranquility,” and that’s why he didn’t mind the extra chores it required from him. In 2017, fans saw the dog in action on a YouTube channel post by the owner. The celebrity posted images of Hans on his Instagram in October 2021 and again in April 2024.
He said his mother and stepfather moved to a retirement community that was a half-hour from where he lived. The couple, who were allowed to take their two dogs with them, told him they were enjoying their stay and were pleased with their decision. At one point, Benji stepped away from Hollywood.
When Did Benji Take Time Away from His Career?
When “ALF” was canceled, Benji said it was “a relief” because he didn’t want to star in any more shows, but he confessed he had no regrets about any of it. On January 20, 2023, the star uploaded a throwback picture of himself on his Instagram account.
The photo included his quote about not wanting to do more shows. In the post’s caption, he complained that he spent hours getting hundreds of pictures taken of him. He was “pretty bummed” when he opened the issue of People magazine to see that they’d chosen that image.
The celebrity couldn’t understand if that was the best photo of him that the editors were able to find because he felt he looked “like an idiot.” He ended up living up to his wish not to star in any more shows but took it a little far.
In 2003, he took a break from Hollywood when he enlisted in the US Navy, where he served as an Aerographer’s Mate (Navy Weather). He was based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi until being honorably discharged in 2005.
His Instagram account profile has him describing himself as a lover of dogs, late-night running, traveling, the Navy, music, and podcasts. On the same day when he complained about People’s publication, Benji shared an Instagram post posing for a family portrait.
In the caption, he joked about his mental illnesses, saying that “even the mentally handicapped are always included” in family photos. The actor and his sister have revealed the medical issues that he struggled with before his death.
What Ailments and Medical Issues Did Benji Experience?
In March 2021, the celebrity shocked fans when he shared a post of himself with blood on his face while covered in band-aids. He explained that the night before, he was walking around in circles in his backyard while reading something on his phone at the same time.
The star failed to see the curb in front of him because he was staring at his phone and tripped and fell straight onto the grill. He warned his fans to be careful when reading and walking, especially if it was dark outside. Benji also noted how embarrassing the situation was.
That year wasn’t the best one for the celebrity, who also suffered a black eye in September. An Instagram photo he uploaded showed how bruised he was, but he didn’t explain the circumstances behind his injury.
Besides suffering several injuries, the star who got vaccinated against COVID-19 that year, revealed various medical struggles he lived with. In July of the same year, Benji showed how he embraced being bipolar by showing a picture of his customized license plates that read, “Bypolr.”
The license plates also read, “ALF Fan” at the top and “My other car is on Melmac” at the bottom. In August, he shared a picture of himself lying on his bed. He explained that this was due to his “Horrible bipolar disorder.”
In March 2022, a Ketamine Wellness Center pot and a dishing spoon appeared on the actor’s Instagram. He revealed another illness he suffered from, saying the center was “The best treatment for depression.” His Instagram profile also said he lived with bipolar and major depression disorders.
In January 2023, he revealed that he had issues with his feet when he showed them off while standing on a scale. His toes looked mangled as he celebrated his weight being below 150 pounds. That same month, he posted a video of a photo of the “ALF” cast.
The star sang along to a song while he shared that the post was “For the insomnia sufferers, like me.” After his death, the actor’s sister confirmed that he lived with depression but also noted that he suffered from sleeping and bipolar disorders.
Rebecca shared how his sleeping disorder kept him awake for days on end, confirming Benji’s 2021 post. Fame seemed difficult for the celebrity, and he once asked his fans to stop sending him pictures asking for autographs.
The Star Requested Fans to Stop Sending Him Images for Autographs
In January 2022, Benji uploaded a video of himself while opening some fan mail he received. One of the letters he got was from Germany, showing how vast his fanbase is. Speaking while opening the letter, he revealed how he always asked fans to send self-addressed and stamped envelopes.
The reason for his request is that he struggled to send autographs back to his fans. The letter from his German fan asked him to sign the pictures included when he had time. The pictures included were two from Benji’s childhood on television and the same one used by People magazine.
The fan also added two “Fantastic Max” images from the 1988 animated series Benji starred in. Luckily, the fan had included a return address for him to send the pictures back. The star called what he was doing, “Conquering a backlog.”
In January 2023, the actor shared another Instagram picture, and this time it was a letter from another German fan. The letter included a photo of Benji with the main character ALF. The celebrity appeared to have finally tired of signing autographs and sending them back to fans.
Asking with “peace and love,” he pleaded with his fans to stop sending him photos needing them to be autographed. He took the matter further by stating that from February 15, 2023, “all fan mail will be escorted to the nearby landfill.”
Taking to Facebook in April 2024, Benji uploaded another fan mail. This time he asked his followers to help him decipher what he described as the “saddest/worst piece of fan mail” he’d ever received. He offered to attach the translation in the comments and credit the decipherer.
