Anne Schedeen, the actress best known to millions of television viewers as Kate Tanner on the hit NBC sitcom ALF, has died at the age of 77, according to a statement shared by her family.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Annie has passed peacefully,” her family wrote in a message posted to her official Facebook page.
The heartfelt tribute remembered Schedeen for her vibrant personality, sharp wit, devotion to her family, and passion for helping others.
“She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of creative energy, whip-smart humor, delight in her family, adoration for little dogs, passion for second-hand thrifting, and love for a good story,” the statement read. “We are bereft without her. We loved her so, so much, as did all who met her.”
Born in Oregon, Schedeen began her career in theater before signing with Universal Studios in the 1970s. Over the next decade, she built an impressive résumé with appearances in numerous television series, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Marcus Welby, M.D., Emergency!, Three’s Company, and Cheers.
However, it was her role as Kate Tanner on ALF that made her a household name. From 1986 to 1990, Schedeen portrayed the loving and patient mother of the Tanner family, whose lives were turned upside down when they took in a wisecracking alien from the planet Melmac. The series became one of the most popular sitcoms of the era and remains a cherished part of 1980s television history.
Although Schedeen later admitted that filming ALF could be challenging due to the complex puppetry involved, she ultimately looked back on the experience with fondness.
“I did a lot of pilots before ALF came along,” she said in a 2015 interview. “Some lasted a year, some lasted just a handful of episodes. But this one really caught on. It was fun.”
Following news of her passing, fans have flooded social media with tributes, remembering Schedeen as the warm-hearted television mom who helped make ALF a cultural phenomenon.
Her family encouraged those wishing to honor her memory to “raise a margarita in her honor” and consider donating to Habitat for Humanity, one of the causes she cared about deeply.
Schedeen is survived by her husband, daughter, siblings, niece, and two beloved rescue dogs.
“We all love you, Annie,” her family wrote in their final farewell.
