Anne Schedeen, 'ALF' Matriarch Kate Tanner, Dies at 77

Q: What does Anne Schedeen's private passion for art reveal about the woman behind the famous television mom?

Anne Schedeen’s private passion for art suggests she was far more than the composed television mother audiences knew on *ALF*: she was a deeply creative, hands-on artist who expressed joy, humor and individuality across many forms. That picture comes through clearly in her family’s tribute, which described an “extraordinary legacy of creative energy” and said she left behind not just memories but “artwork, handmade jewelry, oil paintings, sculptures, [and] costumes.” Those details show that art was not a side hobby but a central part of how she lived and connected with others. Her agent reinforced that image, calling her “a true artist and friend” and “one of a kind.” Taken together, the tributes portray Schedeen as vibrant, curious and playful, someone whose creativity extended well beyond acting. Her love of second-hand thrifting, storytelling and making things by hand points to a woman who valued imagination, reinvention and personal expression. The reference to her “joie de vivre” suggests that art was also a source of happiness and vitality in her private life. In practical terms, her artistic life helps explain the fuller person behind Kate Tanner: not only a working actress with a long television career, but someone who kept creating off-camera through painting, sculpture, jewelry and costume design. It reveals a multifaceted woman whose identity was rooted as much in making art as in performing it.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 15

Anne Schedeen, the actress who played Kate Tanner on NBC's "ALF," has died at 77, according to a post on her official Facebook page and confirmation from her agent.
No cause of death was disclosed. The family said she died peacefully and asked that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity in lieu of flowers.
Schedeen starred on "ALF" from 1986 to 1990, playing the suburban mother opposite the wisecracking alien sitcom character that became the center of the late-1980s series.
Born Luanne Ruth Schedeen in Oregon, she built a career through theater, modeling and TV roles including "Emergency!," "Simon & Simon" and "Paper Dolls" before her best-known part.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Christopher Barrett, their daughter Tay Barrett, and other family members.