How many of these iconic TV matriarchs from the ’80s do you remember — and see what they look like now

Katey Sagal turned the stereotypical housewife on her head in Married… With Children. Peg Bundy was far more likely to be found looking out her next pair of leopard print leggings than doing a quick hoover, and fans loved her for it.

Nowadays, Katey is well-known as a voice actor on Futurama, her six-year stint on Sons of Anarchy and worked on three episodes of 2026 Netflix hit One Piece.

Intelligent, driven and politically astute, Meredith Baxter starred as the wife to Steven and mother of Alex, Mallory, Jennifer and Andy in Family Ties. But she’s also a successful architect and carries over her liberal views from ’60s California to the family home.

The Primetime Emmy nominated actress appears less regularly on screen these days, living happily with her wife Nancy Locke in California. She has taken on advocacy work around LGBTQ+ equality, domestic abuse and addiction recovery. 

Anne Schedeen was cast as the Alf family matriarch Kate Tanner in 1986. The chaotic family sitcom follows the exploits of the strange but beloved Alien Life Form who moves in to the family’s garage. 

Anne sadly passed on 14 June 2026. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Christopher Barrett, and their daughter Taylor. 

Phylicia Rashad was beloved as the matriarch of the Huxtable family on The Cosby Show. Wife to Cliff Huxtable and a mother of five, she quietly asserted her sense of humour, and sure but gentle personality.

Nominated for six Primetime Emmys, she’s recently starred on The Gilded Age and modern Bible retelling Ruth & Boaz. She’s also worked as dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University, proving her leading talent is not constrained to the screen.

Estelle Getty was a well-loved presence on The Golden Girls as the intimidating mother of Bea Arthur, Sophia Petrillo. While, in reality, she was 14 months younger than Bea, a grey wig and sheer acting talent won her the part.

Her last role came in the early 2000s, reprising the character of Estelle for It’s Like, You Know… (2001). She stepped back from acting, enjoying retirement with her husband Arthur Gettleman until his death in 2004, and life as mother to their two children. She sadly passed in 2008.

Joanna Kerns starred as Maggie Seaver in Growing Pains, the hard-working journalist mother of three (then four). She loves her job, husband and kids – proving you can have it all. 

Once Growing Pains wrapped, she worked behind the camera, directing episodes of shows like Dawson’s Creek, The Goldbergs and Jane the Virgin. But not to fear, she hasn’t ruled out a return to the screen yet.