Benji Gregory, best known as Brian Tanner, the child star of , has died. First reported by , Gregory was found with his service dog, Hans, who also died, in his car in a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, AZ, on June 13. No cause of death has been determined.
He was 46. Born Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg in Los Angeles, CA, on May 26, 1978, Gregory was one of several actors in his family. Still, few could have predicted his sudden rise to prominence.
Before his 10th birthday, Gregory had landed roles on several ‘80s hallmarks, such as , , and . In 1986, he joined the cast of as the cat-hunting, beer-swilling alien life form’s best friend, Brian. Gregory was a patient and enthusiastic scene partner for his crass puppet co-star, bouncing off the furry extraterrestrial for four years and 101 episodes.
He would later return for the 2004 reboot pilot. Throughout ’s run, Gregory continued to work. He appeared on and Whoopi Goldberg’s screen breakthrough, .
Gregory also dabbled in voice work, playing Biff Tannen Jr. in the second season of the cartoon series. By 1993, Gregory had all but left the industry.
. He was discharged for medical reasons in 2005..
