Anne Schedeen, who played the matriarch Kate Tanner on the 1980s NBC sitcom ALF, has died at the age of 77. Her death was announced by her family on social media and confirmed by her agent.
Announcement
The family announced Schedeen's death on Sunday via her official Facebook page, stating she "passed peacefully." A cause of death was not disclosed. Metropolitan Talent Agency CEO and President Tom Markley, Schedeen's longtime agent, confirmed the news. The family requested that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity in lieu of flowers.
Background and Career
Born Luanne Ruth Schedeen on January 8, 1949, in Portland, Oregon, she began acting at age 6, performing at the Portland Civic Theatre. She later studied at Portland State University and Fort Wright College. After working in modeling, dinner theater in Hawaii, and summer stock, Schedeen moved to New York and then Los Angeles, where she signed with Universal Pictures.
Her on-screen debut was in a 1974 episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. Over her career, she appeared in a range of television series, including:
- Marcus Welby, M.D.
- Paper Dolls
- Emergency!
- Simon & Simon
- McCloud
- The Bionic Woman
- The Incredible Hulk
- Three's Company
- Cheers
- Magnum P.I.
- Murder, She Wrote
- Judging Amy
She also appeared in films such as Embryo (1976), Flight to Holocaust (1977), Exo-Man (1977), Champions: A Love Story (1979), Second Thoughts (1983), Slow Burn (1986), and Cast the First Stone (1989).
Role on ALF
Schedeen was best known for her role as Kate Tanner on the sitcom ALF, which centered on an alien living with a California family. The series aired on NBC from September 1986 to March 1990 and produced spin-offs. According to statements she made, Schedeen found the script funny and agreed to the role after meeting the cast and the alien puppet. She later described the production as technically challenging.
Survivors
Schedeen is survived by her husband Christopher Barrett; daughter Tay Barrett (also referred to as Taylor Barrett); daughter-in-law Hilary Flynn; sister Sarabeth Schedeen; niece Minnie Schedeen; brother Roland “Tony” Schedeen; and sister-in-law Julieann Schedeen (also spelled Julieanne Schedeen). She is also survived by two rescue dogs, Roo and Red.