See what became of the alien from Melmac, the family who took him in, and the neighbors who almost exposed him. What happened to the cast of ALF? Inside the stars’ lives after the hit scifi sitcom See what became of the alien from Melmac, the family who took him in, and the neighbors who almost exposed him. July 30, 2026 8:30 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ALFCastWATN0714265787427e99a44d01ad7b673ed506aaf3.jpg) A blended family: the human Tanners and the alien Shumways.

See what became of the alien from Melmac, the family who took him in, and the neighbors who almost exposed him.

What happened to the cast of ALF? Inside the stars’ lives after the hit sci-fi sitcom

See what became of the alien from Melmac, the family who took him in, and the neighbors who almost exposed him.

July 30, 2026 8:30 p.m. ET

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A blended family: the human Tanners and the alien Shumways. Credit:

Sitcoms about aliens adapting to life on Earth have occasionally popped across the prime-time landscape over the years, from *My Favorite Martian* to *Mork and Mindy*. But none has proved quite as furry — or as ferociously enduring in the pop culture imagination — as *ALF*.

Yes, his real name was Gordon Shumway, though the Tanner family quickly dubbed him ALF, short for “Alien Life Form,” after he crash-landed in their garage in the 1986 premiere.

For four seasons, ALF lived with the Tanner family, expressed a persistent hankering for cats , and learned about the strange planet on which he had found himself stranded. The series ended on a distressing cliffhanger in 1990, but that was far from the last we’d hear from the wisecracking alien.

With that tease in mind, let’s find out what became of ALF himself — and the show's other cast members — as ** looks back at their lives and careers, past and present.

Paul Fusco (Gordon Shumway, a.k.a. ALF)

Paul Fusco, the voice of ALF / Gordon Shumway himself.

Paul Fusco has been the voice and creative force behind ALF since the character's beginnings. Over the decades, he has continued to perform the wisecracking alien in nearly all of his major appearances.

Fusco was already puppeteering prior to *ALF*, having worked on several puppet-centered specials for Showtime. But it was a meeting between Fusco and Tom Patchett — who already had a feel for that sort of material after cowriting *The Great Muppet Caper* (1981) and *The Muppets Take Manhattan* (1984) — that led to a collaboration between the two writers. Their collaboration ultimately produced *ALF*.

Amid *ALF*-mania, Fusco created and produced two Saturday morning cartoons for NBC, *ALF: The Animated Series* and *ALF Tales*. After the live-action sitcom ended in 1990, he created *Space Cats*, a 1991 blend of puppetry and animation that featured regular appearances by Charles Nelson Reilly as a sentient computer called D.O.R.C. — the Disembodied Omnipotent Ruler of Cats. (Yes, really.)

Since then, much of Fusco’s career has revolved around maintaining his signature character and franchise, from the 1996 TV movie *Project ALF* to 2004's *ALF’s Hit Talk Show*. He has also provided Mr. Shumway’s voice in episodes of *Mr. Robot*, *Young Sheldon*, and *The Simpsons*, as well as Funny or Die’s *Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie*.

Fusco was most recently seen — uh, make that heard — in 2025, when he revived ALF for a faux-’80s “Telethon for Hawkins,” a promotion tied to the final season of *Stranger Things.* It ends ominously, with ALF being dragged offscreen by a Demogorgon while shouting, “I didn’t sign up for this!”

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Max Wright (Willie Tanner)

Max Wright as Willie Tanner / Wright in Century City in 1987.

Everett; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

As Willie, the Tanner family patriarch, Max Wright basically spent much of *ALF*'s four-season run anxiously contemplating what might happen if the world at large discovered his furry alien houseguest.

Wright’s comedic presence helped keep the laughs coming even during the brief stretches when *ALF *wasn’t on screen. The veteran actor got his start in theater, making his Broadway debut as an original cast member of the 1968 production of *The Great White Hope*, starring James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander. He subsequently appeared in *The Cherry Orchard* with Meryl Streep and Raul Julia, *The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel *with Al Pacino, and *Once in a Lifetime* with John Lithgow and Treat Williams.

After moving in front of the camera, Wright became a regular guest actor on TV while also appearing in the ensembles of such high-profile films as *All That Jazz* (1979) and *Reds *(1981). His first series-regular role came opposite Dabney Coleman on *Buffalo Bill*, after which he starred on the short-lived *Misfits of Science*.

After *ALF*, Wright costarred on *Dudle*y, a sitcom starring Dudley Moore that produced just six episodes. He also appeared on *Friends* as Terry, the manager of Central Perk, and had small roles in *The Shadow* (1994) and *Grumpier Old Men* (1995).

In 1999, the Detroit native joined *The Norm Show* as Norm’s boss, Max Denby, a role he played for three seasons. He subsequently appeared in two other Norm MacDonald projects: an episode of *A Minute with Stan Hooper *and the unsold pilot *Back to Norm*.

Wright was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1995 and entered remission. He died in 2019 following a lengthy battle with the disease. He was 75.

Wright was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1995 and entered remission. He died in 2019 following a lengthy battle with the disease. He was 75.

Anne Schedeen (Kate Tanner)

Anne Schedeen as Kate Tanner / Schedeen in Universal City in 1988.

Everett; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

As Kate, mother of the Tanner household, Anne Schedeen had little tolerance for ALF’s shenanigans. At the same time, her maternal instincts often kicked in whenever her alien houseguest found himself in trouble or danger.

The Oregon native launched her acting career in dinner theater before making her way to New York and, eventually, Los Angeles. There, she landed guest appearances and recurring roles on such series as *Emergency!* and *Marcus Welby, M.D. *as well as a substantial part in the sci-fi film *Embryo* (1976), starring Rock Hudson and Diane Ladd.

Schedeen appeared in several episodes of *Three’s Company* before landing a series-regular role on Aaron Spelling’s short-lived *Paper Dolls*. Ultimately it was on *ALF *that she found her most lasting success.

After the series ended, Schedeen appeared in a *Perry Mason* TV movie and recurred in three episodes of *Judging Amy*. For the most part, however, she stepped away from acting in her later years.

Schedeen died in 2026 at the age of 77. She was survived by her husband, talent agent Christopher Barrett, and their daughter, Taylor.

Andrea Elson (Lynn Tanner)

Andrea Elson as Lynn Tanner / Elson in the late '80s.

Everett; Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch via Getty

Andrea Elson played Lynn, the eldest Tanner child and the family's only daughter, not to mention one of ALF’s frequent confidants.

Elson began her career as a child actress and model, booking commercials and other gigs before starring as one of four computer-wielding teen detectives on CBS’ *Whiz Kids*. Although the show lasted only 18 episodes, Elson wasn’t out of work for long. After a guest appearance on *Silver Spoons*, she landed *ALF* in 1986.

Although she never had another full-time TV gig, she continued to work on the small screen throughout the subsequent decade, making guest appearances on *Who’s the Boss*, *Married… with Children*, *Mad About You*, and *Step by Step*. After a brief stint on *The Young and the Restless* in 1998, Elson stepped away from acting.

The New York native married former *ALF* stage manager Scott Hopper in 1993. The couple have two children and have built a private life outside Hollywood.

Benji Gregory (Brian Tanner)

Benji Gregory on 'ALF'; Gregory at the Century Plaza Hotel in 1987.

Everett; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Benji Gregory played Brian, the family’s youngest child — at least until the arrival of newborn Eric in season 3.

Born into an entertainment-industry family, Gregory began working in commercials as an infant, with his grandmother serving as his agent.

Gregory’s early TV credits included episodes of *The A-Team*, *T.J. Hooker*, and *Punky Brewster*, as well as installments of *Amazing Stories* and the 1985 revival of *The Twilight Zone*. But *ALF *made him a series regular for the first — and last — time.

After the series ended, the young actor popped up in an episode of *Murphy Brown* and the 1991 TV movie *Never Forget.* His final acting role was providing the voice of Edgar the Mole in the 1993 animated movie *Once Upon a Forest*.

Gregory joined the U.S. Navy in 2003 and received an honorable medical discharge two years later. Although he remained largely out of the public eye, he participated in a 2022 interview for BTM Legends Corner in which he said that he continued to get fan mail for his work on *ALF*.

According to his sister, the former child star struggled with bipolar disorder and depression. In June 2024, Gregory and his service dog, Hans, were found dead in his car in Peoria, Ariz. His sister said the family believed he had fallen asleep in the vehicle during extreme heat. The medical examiner later determined that Gregory died from environmental heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis and ruled his death accidental. He was 46.

Liz Sheridan (Raquel Ochmonek)

Liz Sheridan as Mrs. Ochomnek / Sheridan in Burbank years later.

NBC; Albert L. Ortega/WireImage

Liz Sheridan played Raquel Ochmonek, the Tanners’ nosy neighbor who was perpetually on the cusp of discovering ALF’s existence.

Sheridan got her start in the 1950s as a nightclub dancer and singer. She worked in the Caribbean before returning to New York in the late 1960s to pursue theater. She later appeared in the 1977 Broadway production of *Happy End* with Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd.

The New York native moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s and quickly built a career in TV and film, appearing in *Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again *(1982), *Star 80 *(1983), and *Legal Eagles *(1986), as well as episodes of *The White Shadow*, *Archie Bunker’s Place*, *St. Elsewhere*, and *The A-Team*.

In 1986, she secured her role on *ALF*, ultimately appearing in 34 episodes. Just as the sci-fi sitcom ended, Sheridan picked up the other role for which she is best remembered: Jerry’s mother, Helen, on *Seinfeld*.

She worked more sporadically in later years, making one-off appearances on *Complete Savages* and *Numb3rs*. Her final TV role was a voice performance on *American Dad!* in 2007.

Sheridan died in 2022 at the age of 93. Her onetime TV son Jerry Seinfeld paid tribute on social media, writing, “Liz was always the sweetest, nicest TV mom a son could wish for. Every time she came on our show it was the coziest feeling for me. So lucky to have known her."

John LaMotta (Trevor Ochmonek)

John LaMotta as Mr. Ochmonek.

John LaMotta played Trevor Ochmonek, who spent virtually every appearance being grouchy and irascible.

In retrospect, those traits may not have been exclusive to his character. “I thought the show *ALF* was a piece of s--t … worst work I ever did,” LaMotta said in a 2010 interview with TMZ.

LaMotta — the nephew of boxer Jake LaMotta, in case you were wondering — began his screen career in the early 1970s, taking small film roles and making guest appearances on such shows as *Baretta*, *Barney Miller*, and *Hill Street Blues*. His later film credits included *Revenge of the Ninja* (1983) and *American Ninja* (1985).

After *ALF*, the Brooklyn native continued to bounce back and forth between the big and small screens. The inaugural season of *ER* gave him a recurring role as Ivan Gregor, and he also appeared on such high-profile shows as *The Nanny, Frasier*, and *Northern Exposure*.**

LaMotta died in 2014 at the age of 75.

Where can I watch ALF?

*ALF* is currently available to stream on Peacock, Prime Video, and Tubi.

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Comedy"

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Source: Comedy

Published: July 30, 2026 at 08:57PM on Source: OPERA MAG

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