Anne Schedeen Dies: Actress Who Played ‘ALF’s Mom Was 77
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- Anne Schedeen died at 77, with her family announcing on Sunday via Facebook that she "passed peacefully" — a cause of death was not immediately known
- Schedeen was best known for playing Kate Tanner on NBC's ALF, which ran four seasons from 1986 to 1990 and centered on a family harboring a wisecracking alien
- Schedeen built a long TV resume with guest roles on The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Three's Company, Cheers, Magnum P.I., and Murder She Wrote, plus films including Embryo (1976)
- Schedeen was born Luanne Ruth Schedeen on Jan. 8, 1949, in Portland, Oregon, started performing at Portland Civic Theatre, and later signed with Universal Pictures after moving to Los Angeles
- Schedeen is survived by husband Christopher Barrett of 55 years, daughter Taylor Barrett, siblings, and her rescue dogs Roo and Red; longtime agent Tom Markley confirmed her death
- The family asked for donations to Habitat for Humanity in lieu of flowers, and their tribute highlighted her oil paintings, handmade jewelry, sculptures, and "burning hatred for Trump"
Why it matters: ALF ran four seasons and remains a cult touchstone of 1980s network comedy, with Schedeen's exasperated-mom performance anchoring the family dynamic. Her death at 77 closes a chapter for fans who grew up watching the Tanner household, and the unusually candid family tribute — which name-checks her art, rescue dogs, and politics — reframes Schedeen as a multidimensional artist whose creative output extended well beyond her most famous role.
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