RIP Michu Meszaros; star of Alf

[The Deadman]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.2671858

Michu Meszaros, the entertainer who portrayed "ALF" in the popular 1980s sitcom, has died, TMZ reports.

He was 76.

Meszaros was reportedly taken to a Los Angeles hospital last week after his longtime manager Dennis Varga discovered him unresponsive in his bathroom. He spent the past week in a coma, according to the gossip site.

The Hungary native had reportedly been battling health problems since suffering a stroke eight years ago.

The actor landed a number of significant roles in his career, including a pair of commercials with late pop king Michael Jackson. He also made a cameo in the 1988 comedy "Big Top Pee-wee."

But his biggest claim to fame was his role in "ALF," a series centering on a wisecracking alien who crash lands on Earth and moves in with the suburban Tanner family.

The character of ALF — which stands for Alien Life Form — was typically a puppet, but Meszaros wore the fuzzy brown costume when they needed action shots. Puppeteer Paul Fusco, meanwhile, provided the voice for the character.

The 2-foot-9 Meszaros, who performed in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus early on in his career, billed himself as the "world's shortest man" in 1990 after becoming an American citizen, according to the Los Angeles Times.