Seinfeld and ALF Star Liz Sheridan Dies at 93

By Jamie Jirak

Liz Sheridan, who was best known for playing Raquel Ochmonek on ALF and Helen Seinfeld on Seinfeld has died at age 93. TMZ reports the actor passed away peacefully in her sleep from natural causes on Friday, April 15th at 2:30 AM. Sheridan had just celebrated her 93rd birthday on April 10th. Born and raised in Rye, New York, Sheridan had an acting career that spanned decades. Her career began in New York City and the Caribbean as a nightclub dancer and singer before she appeared in various Broadway productions throughout the 1970s. Sheridan has 85 acting credits to her name on IMDb, starting with an appearce on the television series Kojak in 1977 through an appearance in the film Trim in 2010.

Before moving to Los Angeles to begin her television career, Sheridan most notably starred in the musical Happy End on Broadway alongside Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd. After making her first TV appearance on Kojak, Sheridan went on to appear in episodes of Archie Bunker's Place, St. Elsewhere, Newhart, Moonlighting, The A-Team, One Day at a Time, Who's the Boss, Hill St. Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Family Ties, and Murder, She Wrote. During that time, she also appeared in the movies Jekyll and Hyde ... Together Again, The Cartier Affair, Avenging Angel, School Spirit, Who's That Girl, and more.

Sheridan got her big break in 1986 when ALF premiered. The actor played Mrs. Ochmonek, the grumpy neighbor, in 34 episodes. Sheridan's character was often at odds with ALF and the Tanner family, and was a fan-favorite nuisance. ALF came to an end in 1990, the same year Sheridan first appeared on Seinfeld. 

Sheridan's debut as Helen Seinfeld came in the show's second episode, "The Stakeout." She went on to play the role of Jerry's mother in 21 episodes, making her the only actor to appear in all nine seasons of the show aside from the core four. After Seinfeld came to an end in 1998, Sheridan appeared in more television shows including Noah Knows Best, Numb3rs, American Dad!,

In addition to her acting career, Sheridan was also known for having a romance with James Dean in 1952, three years before his infamous death. She wrote a book about their time together titled Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story. In 1960, she met met jazz musician Dale Wales in Puerto Rico. They were married from 1985 until his death in 2003.

Sheridan is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

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