ANNE Schedeen, the actress best known for playing mom Kate Tanner in hit NBC sitcom ALF, has died aged 77.
The beloved TV star passed away peacefully, her family announced in an emotional tribute on Sunday.
A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Annie has passed peacefully,” the family wrote on Facebook.
“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.”
The family described Schedeen as “a force” and said life without her was “unimaginable”.
They added: “But as she said, ‘I’m always with you.’ And she’s right. The memories, artwork, belly laughter, handmade jewelry, oil paintings, sculptures, costumes, and all around joie de vivre live on. Raise a margarita in her honor.”
Instead of flowers, her loved ones asked mourners to make donations to Habitat for Humanity, describing it as “one of Annie’s favorite causes”.
Schedeen’s longtime agent, Tom Markley, also paid tribute.
“Annie meant the world to her family and this agency,” he said.
Born Luanne Ruth Schedeen in Portland, Oregon, on January 8, 1949, the actress developed a passion for performing at an early age.
She studied drama as a child and appeared in productions at Portland Civic Theatre before working in dinner theatre in Hawaii and later moving to New York City to pursue acting full time.
After relocating to Los Angeles, she signed with Universal Pictures and landed her first on-screen role in a 1974 episode of The Six Million Dollar Man.
She went on to build a lengthy television career with appearances in shows including The Bionic Woman, Emergency!, The Incredible Hulk, Three’s Company, Cheers, Magnum PI, Murder, She Wrote and Judging Amy.
Schedeen also appeared in a string of TV movies and films throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
However, she became a household name as Kate Tanner, the mother who welcomed wisecracking alien ALF into her family home in the hugely popular NBC sitcom.
The series ran for four seasons between 1986 and 1990 and remains one of television’s most recognisable comedies.
Schedeen is survived by her husband of 55 years, Christopher Barrett, her daughter Taylor Barrett, and daughter-in-law Hilary Flynn.
She also leaves behind her siblings, Sarabeth and Roland “Tony” Schedeen, her sister-in-law Julieanne, niece Minnie, and her beloved rescue dogs, Roo and Red.
