Anne Schedeen, the actress best known for playing Kate Tanner on the hit sitcom “ALF,” has died at the age of 77.

The news was announced by her family in a heartfelt statement shared on Facebook, remembering Schedeen as a woman whose creativity, humor, and love for life left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her.

“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, passion for second-hand thrifting, and love for a good story.”

For millions of television viewers, however, Schedeen will always be remembered as Kate Tanner, the patient and loving mother at the center of “ALF.” The NBC sitcom, which aired from 1986 to 1990, followed a suburban family that secretly took in a wisecracking alien named Gordon Shumway—better known as ALF—after his spacecraft crashed into their garage.

Schedeen appeared in all four seasons of the beloved series, helping make the Tanner family feel authentic amid the show’s outlandish premise. Her grounded performance provided the perfect balance to ALF’s constant antics, making her one of the most recognizable television moms of the era.

Before landing her career-defining role, Schedeen spent years building an impressive résumé through guest appearances and recurring television roles. Audiences saw her in popular shows including “The Six Million Dollar Man,” “The Bionic Woman,” “Three’s Company,” and “The Incredible Hulk.” She later appeared in productions such as “Paper Dolls,” “Cheers,” and “Judging Amy.”

Although “ALF” became a television classic, Schedeen later admitted that filming the show was far more difficult than many viewers realized. Because the puppet character required complex staging and technical work, production moved at a painfully slow pace.

In an interview with People magazine, she described the experience as a “technical nightmare, extremely slow, hot and tedious.”

“If you had a scene with ALF, it took centuries,” she recalled. “A 30-minute show took 20, 25 hours to shoot.”

Despite those challenges, the series became one of the most memorable family comedies of its generation and continues to attract new viewers decades later through reruns and streaming platforms.

As news of her passing spread, fans remembered not only her role on “ALF” but also the warmth and professionalism she brought to her work. Many credited Schedeen with helping create the heart of the Tanner family, making audiences care about the characters and their unusual extraterrestrial houseguest.

Her family’s tribute painted a picture of a woman who embraced life fully and left behind countless memories.

“She was a force,” the statement said. “And it is unimaginable to think about life without her in it. But as she said, ‘I’m always with you.’ And she’s right.”

Schedeen is survived by her husband, Christopher Barrett; her daughter, Tay Barrett; daughter-in-law Hilary Flynn; siblings and extended family members; and her beloved rescue dogs, Roo and Red.

While Anne Schedeen appeared in dozens of television shows throughout her career, it was her portrayal of Kate Tanner that secured her place in pop culture history. Her steady presence helped anchor one of television’s most unusual family sitcoms, creating a character that remains beloved nearly four decades after “ALF” first premiered.