Anne Schedeen, who played ALF’s mom, Kate Tanner, in the hit NBC sitcom ALF from 1986 to 1990, has died.
Schedeen’s death was announced by her family in a Facebook post on Sunday. She was 77.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Annie has passed peacefully,” the post reads. “She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of creative energy, whip smart humor, delight in her family, adoration for little dogs, burning hatred for Trump, passion for second-hand thrifting, and love for a good story. We are bereft without her. We loved her so so much, as did all who met her.
“She was a force. And it is unimaginable to think about life without her in it,” the post continues. “But as she said, ‘I’m always with you.’ And she’s right. The memories, artwork, belly laughter, handmade jewelry, oil paintings, sculptures, costumes, and all around joie de vivre live on. Raise a margarita in her honor.”
Schedeen starred opposite Max Wright, who played her husband, Willie Tanner, in ALF, an acronym for Alien Life Form. Adopted by the Tanner family, ALF was a fuzzy character voiced and puppeteered by Paul Fusco, who co-created the sitcom with Tom Patchett. Mihaly ‘Michu’ Meszaros occasionally appeared as ALF in costume when full body shots were needed. The character’s full name was Gordon “ALF” Shumway.
Anne Schedeen Appeared In More Than 40 Screen Roles
Born Luanne Ruth Schedeen on Jan. 8, 1949, in Portland, Ore., Anne Schedeen made her screen debut in a guest role on Lee Majors’ sci-fi action series The Six Million Dollar Man in 1974.
After that, Schedeen played guest roles on a half-dozen series, including Get Christie Love!, Ironside and McCloud. She also guest-starred in three different roles over 12 episodes in the hit medical series Marcus Welby, MD, from 1974 to 1976. During the same time period, Schedeen also appeared in guest roles in six episodes of the action drama Emergency!
Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Schedeen also appeared in guest roles on such TV shows as Bionic Woman, Family, Baretta and The Incredible Hulk. From 1978 to 1982, the actress appeared in various guest roles on five episodes of the hit sitcom Three’s Company.
In the 1980s, Schedeen also appeared in several more TV guest roles on such shows as Cheers, E/R, Simon & Simon, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote. In 1984, Schedeen starred as Sarah Frank on the TV drama Paper Dolls. Schedeen appeared in all 13 episodes of the series about the modeling and cosmetic industries, which only ran for one season.
From 1986 to 1990, Schedeen starred as Kate Tanner on 103 episodes over four seasons on ALF. Schedeen’s last screen appearance came in the 2023 reunion special ALF on ALF, which also featured Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett, as well as Andrea Elson and Benji Gregory, who played the Tanner children Lynn and Brian. Also featured in the special were Max Wright, who died in 2019 at age 75, and Mihaly ‘Michu’ Meszaros, who died in 2016 at 76.
According to her family’s Facebook post, Schedeen “is survived by beloved friends and family including her husband of 55 years Christopher Barrett, darling daughter Tay Barrett, daughter-in-law, Hilary Flynn, sister Sarabeth Schedeen, niece Minnie Land, brother Roland ‘Tony’ Schedeen, sister in-law Julieann Schedeen, and her beloved rescue dogs Roo and Red.”