Max Wright, who played the goofball loveable dad Willie Tanner, the father figure to an alien in TV’s “ALF,” has passed away at 75.
Wright was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1995 but had been in remission for years, according to TMZ, which broke the news of his death. Wright’s family confirmed the news to the outlet.
Wright starred in the beloved NBC sitcom “ALF” (an acronym standing for Alien Life Form) for 4 years from 1986 to 1990, playing the shortwave radio enthusiast who accidentally attracted the alien (voiced by the show’s creator, Paul Fusco) to his home on Earth.
As the loveable goofball dad, Wright brought the party-animal ALF to live with his own family, and played the patriarchal straight-man to the alien’s hilarious antics.
“RIP Max Wright,” tweeted Seth MacFarlane. “A hilarious and talented actor. Sad news to hear of his passing. Who will keep ALF in check now?”
The veteran actor had a long list of credits, appearing in hit television shows like “Cheers,” and other shows like “Misfits of Science”, the short-lived comedy “Buffalo Bill,” and a recurring role in the show “Norm.”
His film credits included “All That Jazz,” “Reds,” “The Sting II,” “Soul Man” and “The Shadow” with Alec Baldwin.
The Broadway performer was nominated for a Tony Award for best actor in 1998 for his role as Pavel Lebedev in “Ivanov.”
He was married to Linda Ybarrondo from 1965 until her death in 2017 from breast cancer. They had two children together.
Michu Meszaros, a 3-foot, former circus performer who played ALF in the early years of the show, died after suffering complications from a stroke back in 2016.
