ALF Star Anne Schedeen Has Died at 77
Anne Schedeen, who played matriarch Kate Tanner on the beloved 1980s sitcom ALF, has died. She was 77.
Her family confirmed her death on June 14 in a statement shared on Facebook, saying she "passed peacefully." The tribute that followed was unusually candid and full of personality — much like the woman it described.
"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," the family wrote. "We are bereft without her. We loved her so so much, as did all who met her."
Schedeen is survived by her husband Christopher Barrett, her daughter Taylor Barrett, and her sister, niece, brother, and daughters-in-law. The family described her as "a force."
"And it is unimaginable to think about life without her in it," they wrote. "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."
In lieu of flowers the family asked that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity.
Her Career
Schedeen's most famous role came as Kate Tanner on ALF, the NBC sitcom about an alien — brought to life with an elaborate puppet — who crash lands in the garage of a suburban California family and proceeds to upend their lives. The show ran for four seasons from 1986 to 1990. She starred alongside Max Wright, who played her on-screen husband Willie Tanner and died in 2019.
Before and after ALF, Schedeen built a steady career in television, appearing in episodes of Murder, She Wrote, Magnum P.I., Cheers, Three's Company, The Incredible Hulk, and The Six Million Dollar Man. Her first screen credits date back to 1974.
She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and reflected in a 1988 interview with The Washington Post on the strange experience of becoming famous almost overnight thanks to ALF's massive popularity. "I consider myself lucky," she said at the time. "For years I've been able to make a wonderful living and retain my anonymity. It helped me hit the antique stores, which is a passion of mine. It's a little hard to bargain if the store salesman knows you're on a hit show."
What It Actually Took to Make ALF
For anyone who only remembers ALF as a fuzzy, wisecracking alien puppet, the behind-the-scenes reality of filming the show was notoriously difficult — and Schedeen lived through every bit of it.
The entire set was constructed on a platform raised four feet off the ground, riddled with hidden trap doors so that puppeteer and co-creator Paul Fusco could maneuver underneath the stage and pop ALF up wherever a scene required him to appear. The human cast had to navigate around these trap doors constantly, and several cast members later described the set as genuinely hazardous to work on.
Max Wright, who played Schedeen's on-screen husband, was famously miserable filming the show and didn't hide it. He later told People that working on ALF was "hard work and very grim" and that he was "hugely eager to have it over with." After filming the series finale he reportedly left the set, grabbed his belongings, and drove off without saying goodbye to anyone.
The show wrapped after 99 episodes when NBC canceled it in 1990, leaving the finale as an unresolved cliffhanger — a choice the writers deliberately made hoping it would pressure the network into renewing the show. It didn't work. ALF did get a follow-up television movie in 1996, and Fusco returned to voice the character again in 2023 for a series of shorts produced by Ryan Reynolds's Maximum Effort Channel — proof of just how durable the character's cultural footprint has remained nearly four decades after the original show ended.
Despite the difficult production conditions, ALF became a genuine phenomenon in its day, complete with merchandise, trading cards, and a place in television history as the first sitcom presented in Dolby Surround Sound.
Schedeen spent four seasons playing the human anchor of that chaos — the mom trying to hold a household together while an alien puppet caused chaos around her. By all accounts of her life off camera, she brought that same warmth and humor everywhere she went.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.