Anne Schedeen thanked ALF for bringing her up to star status
It took Anne Schedeen a few years, a strange-looking alien and a crash-landing before she finally beat her shyness and soared to star status. ALF, the alien, brought her out of her shell and into his world.
Schedeen played the role of Kate Tanner in ALF for a total of four seasons. Her character was conservative, she often provided a voice of reason and was a nurturing mother who found herself caught between ALF's antics and keeping a balance in her household.
Her character quickly became a fan favorite for many ALF fans watching the out of this world story from home. He was her one-way ticket to fame.
"I just got out of bed one day and everyone I met knew who I was," Schedeen said in a 1988 interview with St. Cloud Times. "This is the first show where I've gotten this much attention. Up until now I'd been able to sneak into the grocery store without being recognized."
ALF followed the story of an alien who crash-landed in the garage of The Tanner family. The family allows ALF to live as a guest in their house while trying to figure out a way to get him back to his home planet of Melmac.
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Despite having a few roles prior to ALF, the series was her defining moment. According to the interview, Schedeen said there were some major differences between her and the character from the series. She added: "Anyone standing next to her would look like a wild woman."
"If Kate walked into a room and ALF was playing poker, she'd say 'put those cards away,' Schedeen said. "If I walked into the room, I'd say 'deal me in!' He gets harebrained ideas that I think are fun. And even at his worst, he's always funny."
Schedeen preferred to be around people who didn't take themselves seriously, and an alien named ALF was as unserious as it could get.
However, according to a 1988 interview with The Lima News, Schedeen was so shy while growing up that she would hide from any adult and social interaction coming her way. Her mom enrolled her in acting classes in order for her to "get more comfortable with the world."
It's safe to say that acting, and ALF, brought her out of her shell. She was no longer worried about running away from social interaction; in fact, it was now what she lived for.
"The other day I answered the door in my bathrobe," Schedeen said. "A man says, 'You're the woman on ALF!' I'd never been recognized before. The recognition came when the show started hitting the Top 10 in Nielsen ratings."