Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros

A star of the circus in his native Hungary and America, Michu Meszaros parlayed his popularity in the big top into a modest career in films and on television series like "ALF" (NBC, 1986-1990). Born Mihaly Meszaros on October 1, 1939 in Budapest, Hungary, he grew no taller than 2'9", which attracted the attention of the Hungarian National Circus. After training in a variety of performing skills, Meszaros joined the circus at the age of 14 and performed with them until 1973, when the producers of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus recruited him as a featured act. Meszaros' cherubic presence and charming act, which involved trained poodles, made him a favorite among audience members of all ages, as well as a few famous faces, like Michael Jackson, who befriended Meszaros and appeared with him in a television commercial for Pepsi. Meszaros remained with Ringling Brothers until the constant travel required as part of the act wore him down. He retired from the circus in 1985 and moved into films and television, most notably in the sitcom "ALF," for which he donned a full-body costume of the show's furry alien star for shots that required the puppet to be seen running or walking. When the comedy series ran its course in 1990, Meszaros appeared in bit roles in a variety of features and television shows, including "Big Top Pee-Wee" (1988) and "Waxwork" (1988), which cast him as a sinister butler at the titular location. He became an American citizen in 1990 and became a well-loved figure in the Southern California town of Hawthorne, where a street was named after him. Meszaros' health declined in the mid-2000s after suffering a stroke; he was discovered in a comatose state in his home on June 12, 2016 and died the following day at the Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centre in Torrance, California.