Michu Meszaros is a name most geeks who grew up in the 90’s wont know, but should. It is the name of the man who played  the TV character ALF. That insane, puppet-rigged, main character in a prime time sitcom about a furry alien who was smug, snarky, and liked to “eat cats.” Take from that last part what you will. It was an insane and surreal show but one many of us grew up with, yet we all knew so little about the man inside the suit.

Sadly, Michu Meszaros passed away at 76 years old on Thursday night. I know we keep sad news off this site a lot, but I am choosing to bring this up for a reason. The man’s work had an impact on my life, so much so, my first “working job” was playing ALF (in 5th grade) and going around to little kid parties and car openings and handing out balloons. Weird, I know, but I wore an exact replica of that suit and know how tough it was to move around and breathe and not pass out. How the dude did it for hours on end is beyond me, but he deserves a shout-out for the impact his life had. He made us smile, and that is a gift he chose to share. Shame he is gone, but his legacy lives on through ALF reruns, and that will never go out of style.

Plus, ALF was an awesome show and way ahead of its time (Adult Swim would’ve kept it on air for decades had ALF come along later in life). Don’t forget, the furball even landed his own late night talk show at one point. No, not kidding.

So shout out to Michu Meszaros and our condolences to his family and loved ones in this tragic time. We may not have known your name, Michu but we loved what you did and are very grateful you got to share it us. Looks like you finally made it back home, old buddy. Looks like you finally made it back home….

*That even choked me  up, and most know I have no feelings.

(Story via CNN)

Tags: ALF, ALF tv show, death, sad