Max Wright has died aged 75.

Max Wright

Max Wright

The 'ALF' star - who played dad Willie Tanner on the popular 80s sitcom - passed away at his home in Hermosa Beach, California.

Family sources told TMZ that Max had battled cancer for a number of years and was in remission after being diagnosed with Lymphoma in 1995.

Max is best known for his role as Willie in 'ALF', a sitcom in which a friendly extra-terrestrial nicknamed ALF, which stood for Alien Life Form, crash landed in the Tanners' garden.

'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane took to Twitter to praise Max as a "hilarious and talented actor".

He tweeted: "RIP Max Wright - A hilarious and talented actor. Sad news to hear of his passing. Who will keep ALF in check now?"

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also paid tribute to Max.

He wrote on Twitter: "I grew up watching this show. Thanks for the laughs, Max Wright."

Actor Jonathan Frakes wrote: "R,I.P. #MaxWright I had the privilege of working with and admiring this wonderful actor when I was but a pup (sic)"

Paul Fusco was the puppeteer and voice of ALF, and Michu Meszaros portrayed the character in the early days.

But Michu sadly died in June 2016 aged 76.

Max's death comes two years after his wife Linda Ybarrondo, who he married in 1965, passed away from breast cancer in 2017.

The star was also a Broadway veteran, appearing in 'Ivanov' and the original production of 'The Great White Hope', among other productions.