A ALF came to an end in 1990, leaving many viewers to wonder what the cast has been up to since. Premiering in 1986, ALF centers on the titular alien, who crash-lands on Earth and befriends the Tanners, a middle-class family in California. The fish-out-of-water story delivered a lot of laughs as ALF tries — and often hilariously fails — to understand human life while the Tanners try to keep him away from the cat.
Though ALF didn't snatch up awards like its contemporaries, its unique premise left an indelible mark on TV, influencing future series like the '90s sitcom, 3rd Rock from the Sun. Of course, ALF would never have worked if it wasn't for the show's committed cast. Though several ALF actors also showcased their talent in other projects, most have since left the business, and some have sadly ed away. So,
Paul Fusco As ALF
Continues To Voice ALF In Other Movies & TV Shows
Character: Writer, producer, and co-creator of the series, Paul Fusco provided the voice of ALF and did the puppeteering. An alien from the planet Melmac, ALF crash-landed his spaceship on Earth and into the garage of the Tanner house. The extra-terrestrial with a taste for consuming felines made a home with the Tanners, becoming a part of the family. ALF’s name is an acronym for “alien life form,” which was given to him by Willie Tanner. It’s later revealed that ALF’s real name is Gordon Shumway.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
Project: ALF (1996) |
ALF |
Young Sheldon (2019) |
ALF |
The Simpsons (2023) |
ALF |
Where Are They Now: Since ALF’s final season in 1990, Fusco has voiced or performed ALF in guest spots on shows like Young Sheldon, Impractical Jokers, and The Simpsons. In 2012, THR broke the story that Sony Productions had bought the rights to ALF with intentions to make a CGI-animated feature film. However, with no recent updates, it seems that plans for an ALF movie comeback have fallen through.
Max Wright As Willie Tanner
ed Away In 2018
Character: The patriarch of the Tanner family, Willie is played by Max Wright. Though Willie can sometimes be high-strung, he is a loving husband and father. Despite often butting heads with the hairy space traveler, he welcomes ALF into his home and protects him from the government’s Alien Task Force.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
All That Jazz (1979) |
Joshua Penn |
The Shadow (1994) |
Berger |
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) |
Robin Starveling |
Where Are They Now: After ALF ended in 1990, Max Wright continued to make regular TV and movie appearances. He had guest spots in episodes of Quantum Leap, Murphy Brown, and Friends, and also featured in the films The Shadow, Grumpier Old Men, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. From 1999 to 2001, Wright was a regular on the show Norm as Max Denby. In 2019, Wright died at the age of 75 from cancer complications.
Anne Schedeen As Kate Tanner
Left Acting & Became A Charity Ambassador
Character: Anne Schedeen plays Kate Tanner in ALF, the wife of Willie and mother to Lynn and Brian. When she isn’t taking care of house and home, Kate keeps the peace between ALF and her husband.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
Murder, She Wrote (1986) |
Julia Granger |
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991) |
Paula Barrett |
Judging Amy (2001) |
Det. Peggy Fraser |
Where Are They Now: Schedeen did a few acting projects after ALF, including the TV movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster and a small role in the movie Heaven’s Prisoners. In 2001, Schedeen appeared in three episodes of the TV series Judging Amy as Detective Peggy Fraser. It seems that Schedeen has since taken a step back from acting, and the last known news from 2019 states that she became an ambassador the charity organization Holiday Heroes.
Andrea Elson As Lynn Tanner
Retired From Acting & Married ALF's Stage Manager
Character: The teenager of the family, Lynn Tanner was played by Andrea Elson. Like so many stereotypical teen girls on ‘80s TV, Lynn deals with things like grades, dating, and fashion. In the season 1 episode “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” ALF gets a crush on Lynn and tries to woo her away from her boyfriend.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
Simon & Simon (1983) |
Alice Tyler |
Whiz Kids (1983-1984) |
Alice Tyler |
Mad About You (1994) |
Joanne |
Where Are They Now: Elson was 17 years old in the first season of ALF, and about 21 when it ended in 1990. She went on to make guest appearances in TV shows like Who’s The Boss?, Married… With Children, and Men Behaving Badly. She retired from acting in 1996, and hasn’t been seen or spoken of in the public eye for years. Elson reportedly married ALF set manager Scott Hopper in 1993, and at one time she had her own yoga studio (via X).
Benji Gregory As Brian Tanner
ed Away In 2024
Character: Played by Benji Gregory, Brian started out as the youngest member of the Tanner family until his baby brother, Eric, ed the Tanners in season 4. Although ALF can sometimes be a negative influence on Brian, the two become very close friends.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
Amazing Stories (1985) |
Sam |
Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) |
Harry Carlson, Jr. |
Once Upon a Forst (1983) |
Edgar |
Where Are They Now: Starting his career at just six years old, Benji Gregory ed the cast of ALF when he was eight. After ALF’s final season, Gregory did some work in voice animation, with credits such as Back to the Future: The Complete Animated Series, and the 1993 feature film Once Upon A Forest. Retired from acting, Gregory ed the U.S. Navy in 2003, and was honorably discharged due to a medical issue in 2005. On June 13, 2024, Gregory was found dead in his car in Peoria, Arizona due to heat stroke (via People). He was 46 years old.
John LaMotta As Trevor Ochmonek
ed Away In 2014
Character: The next-door neighbor of the Tanners, Trevor Ochmonek was played by John LaMotta. Having no clue about their alien visitor, Trevor would often burst into the Tanner home uninvited, causing havoc when the family had to hide ALF from view. His wife Raquel often spied on the family and suspected something strange was going on, but he never believed her.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
American Ninja (1985) |
Rinaldo |
Frasier (1994-1998) |
Duke |
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) |
Lizzy |
Where Are They Now: Veteran actor John LaMotta continued to work consistently following the cancelation of ALF. He had guest spots on popular TV shows such as Northern Exposure, ER, The Nanny, and Frasier. He also had ing roles in the movies Vampire in Brooklyn, The Scout, The Godson, and Five Aces, which was his final feature film. His last acting creit was in 2004. LaMotta died in 2014 in Los Angeles at 75 years old.
Liz Sheridan As Raquel Ochmonek
ed Away In 2022
Character: Liz Sheridan played the Tanners’ nosy and antagonistic neighbor, Raquel Ochmonek, in ALF. She would often spy on the Tanners, suspicious that they were hiding something, but never learned they were harboring an alien life form. As the wife of Trevor Ochmonek, the two often argued with one another and Raquel once kicked him out of the house.
Notable Movies & TV Shows
Title |
Role |
Seinfeld (1990-1998) |
Helen Seinfeld |
American Dad! (2007) |
Mrs. Rothberg |
Play the Game (2009) |
Edna Gordon |
Where Are They Now: Following her role on ALF, Liz Sheridan acted in several movies and TV shows in the ‘90s and 2000s. Most her from Seinfeld as Jerry’s mother, Helen. Sheridan also guest-starred in shows like Blossom, Cleghorne!, and Numb3ers, and had roles in the films Forget Paris, Just Add Water, and Now You Know. Her final acting credit was for the 2010 indie film Trim. Sheridan died in 2022 at age 93 (via Entertainment Weekly).
Did The Cast Really Hate Working With Alf Himself?
The Set Up For The Puppet Led To 18-Hour Shooting Days
It’s hard enough when human actors don’t get along with each other, but what happens when an actor doesn’t get along with a puppet? Since ALF left the airways, there have been numerous rumors and reports that of the cast would often get frustrated with their fabricated co-star.
The truth is that it wasn’t necessarily the puppet itself that the human actors were impatient with, but with the time-consuming setup needed for the puppeteer’s performance. According to People, the soundstage was so elaborately constructed that shooting sometimes took 18 hours, which had to be exhausting for the cast. Max Wright confessed that by the show’s final episode, he was “eager to have it over with.” Co-star Anne Schedeen stated that she witnessed Wright walking off the set and leaving without a word once filming had wrapped. It seemed that Wright was clearly over and done by that point.
The actors' frustration likely led to the show ending in a massive cliffhanger. (There was a TV film in 1996 that offered a resolution, but Paul Fusco was the only main cast member to take part). While it definitely sounds like ALF was more demanding to film than the average multi-cam sitcom, the cast's chemistry and onscreen charisma made them one of the most underrated of their time.

ALF follows the story of a furry extraterrestrial from the planet Melmac who crashes into an Earth family's garage. After the crash, the alien, known as ALF, becomes an unconventional member of the family, leading to unique and comedic situations as they adapt to life together.
- Seasons
- 4
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