Anne Schedeen, who played the matriarch of a suburban family hiding a cuddly alien on “ALF,” died at age 77, her family announced Sunday on Facebook.
In a statement, Schedeen’s 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. We loved her so so much, as did all who met her.”
They added: “She was a force. And it is unimaginable to think about life without her in it.”
Schedeen got her start in summer stock theater, before scoring a recurring role on the NBC medical drama “Emergency!” and guest-starring as the daughter of the title character in ABC’s “Marcus Welby, M.D.” She also appeared opposite Rock Hudson and Diane Ladd in the 1976 sci-fi horror film
Embryo” and alongside Lucie Arnaz and Craig Wasson in 1983’s “Second Thoughts.” She would co-star in 1984’s “Paper Dolls” with Lauren Hutton and Morgan Fairchild, but the ABC soap opera was pulled after 14 episodes.
It was on “ALF” that Schedeen found fame as Kate Tanner, a no-nonsense mom trying to keep the government from discovering the extraterrestrial who has crash landed in their garage. The sitcom ran from 1986-1990 and was initially a ratings hit for NBC. However, because “ALF” relied on hand-operated puppets it was a technical challenge and after moving the series from its traditional Monday night slot to Saturday and then Sunday, it was cancelled due to declining viewership.
After the show ended, Schedeen’s career dialed down. She appeared in the 1996 Alec Baldwin thriller “Heaven’s Prisoners” and had a recurring guest-starring role on the legal drama series “Judging Amy.”
Schedeen is survived by her husband Christopher Barrett, daughter Taylor Barrett, daughter-in-law, Hilary Flynn, sister Sarabeth Schedeen, niece Minnie Schedeen, brother Roland Schedeen, and sister in-law Julieann Schedeen.
