Anne Schedeen, the actress best known for playing the no-nonsense mom on the hit sitcom Alf, has died. She was 77.
Schedeen’s family announced her death Sunday in a heartfelt Facebook statement, saying the beloved actress had “passed peacefully.”
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Annie has passed peacefully,” the family wrote. “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,” the statement continued. “We loved her so so much, as did all who met her.”
Schedeen was best known to TV fans as Kate Tanner, the mother of the family at the center of Alf. The NBC sitcom ran from 1986 to 1990 and followed a suburban family whose lives were turned upside down after an alien crash-landed into their garage.
Schedeen appeared in 103 episodes of the beloved series, bringing warmth, wit, and exasperated mom energy to one of television’s strangest and most memorable sitcom households.
Her family called her “a force” and said it is “unimaginable to think about life without her in it.”
“But as she said, ‘I’m always with you.’ And she’s right,” the family wrote. “The memories, artwork, belly laughter, handmade jewelry, oil paintings, sculptures, costumes, and all around joie de vivre live on.”
They ended the tribute with a fitting request: “Raise a margarita in her honor.”
The announcement also included a photo of Schedeen with Alf, the furry alien character who became a pop culture favorite in the 1980s.
Her death comes after another heartbreaking loss for the Alf cast. Benji Gregory, who played young Brian Tanner on the show, died in 2024 at age 46 after he and his dog were found dead inside a car in Arizona. His death was later attributed to heatstroke.
After Alf ended, Schedeen largely stepped away from the spotlight. She continued to take smaller roles in film and television, including appearances on Judging Amy.
Before Alf, she also starred in the 1984 drama Paper Dolls alongside Nicollette Sheridan and Morgan Fairchild.
Schedeen is survived by her husband, Christopher Barrett, whom she married 55 years ago, as well as her daughter, Taylor Barrett, and daughter-in-law, Hilary Flynn.