Alan Kayser the Beloved Mama’s Family Actor and Devoted Family Man

Basic Information

When I think of Alan Kayser, I picture an unusual Hollywood story. Here was a young actor who arrived in Los Angeles with ambition, landed a role on a popular television comedy, became a recognizable face of the 1980s, and then gradually stepped away from the machinery of fame. Instead of chasing celebrity forever, Kayser built something quieter: a family, a life in Missouri, steady work, motorcycles, occasional acting, and a relationship with fans that has lasted for decades.

Although his name is sometimes written as Alan Kayser, his full name is Allan Joseph Kayser II. He was born on December 18, 1963, in Littleton, Colorado. He attended Columbine High School from 1978 through 1982 and graduated long before the tragedy that would later make the school’s name internationally known.

After high school, Kayser headed west toward Los Angeles. He reportedly gave himself about two years to make acting work. That decision became the opening scene of his Hollywood chapter.

From Colorado Teenager to Hollywood Actor

Kayser’s first years in entertainment moved quickly. In 1985, he appeared in Hot Chili as Jason. The following year brought the two projects that would define much of his career.

One was Night of the Creeps, the wonderfully strange 1986 horror comedy directed by Fred Dekker. Kayser played Brad, becoming part of a film that initially struggled commercially but eventually developed a devoted cult following.

The other was Mama’s Family, where Kayser became Bubba Higgins.

Bubba was energetic, good natured, slightly goofy, and immediately memorable. Kayser joined the syndicated continuation of the series in 1986 and remained with the show through 1990. Across 95 episodes, he worked alongside Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Beverly Archer, and other established performers.

For a young actor, it was a remarkable platform. Kayser became something of a 1980s teen idol, even though the character he played was deliberately more lovable than glamorous. In 1989, he received a Young Artist Award nomination for his work on Mama’s Family.

I find that period especially interesting because Kayser was not simply appearing in a sitcom. He was learning the rhythms of television comedy while working with actors who already understood exactly how to make an audience laugh. His later comments about the experience suggest that he valued those lessons long after the spotlight faded.

Alan Kayser and the Legacy of Night of the Creeps

If Mama’s Family made Kayser recognizable to television viewers, Night of the Creeps gave him a second identity among horror fans.

The movie is a glorious cinematic blender. It throws together alien parasites, zombies, college comedy, slasher conventions, science fiction, detective drama, practical gore, and 1950s monster movie influences. At the center are the grotesque little creatures that invade human brains and transform their victims into something considerably less lively.

Kayser’s Brad belongs to the youthful ensemble caught in the nightmare.

The movie did not become a major theatrical success in 1986. Instead, its reputation grew slowly through home video, cable television, horror magazines, repertory screenings, conventions, and generations of genre fans discovering it after its original release.

Tom Atkins became particularly iconic as Detective Ray Cameron, while the practical effects helped give the movie an unmistakable physical texture. Exploding heads, crawling parasites, strange transformations, and fast moving action gave the film the flavor of a midnight movie that refuses to take itself too seriously.

Kayser’s participation in the film has continued to matter because Night of the Creeps became one of those rare movies that grew more beloved with age. Modern collectors, horror festivals, and convention audiences have kept the film alive, and Kayser has periodically returned to that world to meet fans.

Life After Mama’s Family

Kayser’s post-TV career is fascinating.

Hollywood teaches actors to focus on the next part. Kayser changed course. He moved to Missouri and started a family instead of staying in Los Angeles and evaluating his life by auditions and acting credits.

He lived in Kansas City by 1991. The topography was interesting to Mama’s Family, which was set in Raytown, Missouri. His Missouri existence was far from TV fantasy.

Over time, Kayser worked many occupations. He worked on an assembly line, filled vending machines, sold and spent eight years at a Harley Davidson and powersports business. Motorcycle work is one of his favourite jobs after acting, he says.

He became a salaried USPS mail carrier in 2021.

That detail illuminates his celebrity strategy. Kayser did not seem interested in pretending his life had to be glamorous because he was a TV star. He accepted routine labour while acting selectively.

Alan Kayser and Lori Kayser

Kayser’s first marriage was to Lori Kayser, a woman he met from the Raytown area after one of his personal appearances.

Their relationship eventually became a family partnership. They had two children together and were also connected professionally through a performing arts academy in Warrensburg, Missouri. The academy was associated with Lori’s Performing Arts Academy and later with Center Stage Academy of the Performing Arts.

Public information about Lori remains limited, which reflects the family’s preference for privacy. Kayser has occasionally discussed his first marriage and children, but he has generally avoided turning family members into public personalities.

The marriage eventually ended in divorce. By the time Kayser discussed the relationship in detail in 2021, the divorce had been many years in the past.

Kayser has also mentioned three grandsons from this side of his family, giving his family story another generation.

Sara Kayser and Their Twin Sons

Alan Kayser married Sara Kayser on August 23, 2014.

Sara has maintained an especially private public profile, but Kayser has spoken affectionately about her. In a 2021 interview, he described her as the love of his life and his dream girl. That description offers a glimpse into the warmth he brings to the part of his life that exists away from cameras.

The couple have twin boys, born around 2015. In 2021, when the boys were approximately six years old, Kayser spoke about everyday family moments such as watching them play in an inflatable pool.

There is something almost wonderfully ordinary about that image. A man who once appeared before millions of television viewers is now watching his children splash around at home. The contrast between celebrity nostalgia and suburban family life is one of the most distinctive parts of Kayser’s story.

Sara is from Kansas, and the family has maintained ties to the region. Together, they have built a private life in the Kansas City area rather than pursuing the celebrity circuit as a permanent lifestyle.

Education and Missouri Life

Kayser later attended Central Missouri State University, now known as the University of Central Missouri, during the late 1990s. He participated in theatre and acting studies, continuing to develop his craft even after his most visible television years.

Missouri eventually became more than a place to live. It became the backdrop for his second act.

In 2022, Kayser was inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame during the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield. The honor connected his entertainment career with the state where he had spent much of his adult life.

His relationship with Missouri also mirrors his broader career philosophy. Instead of disappearing entirely after leaving Los Angeles, he established roots and maintained a selective connection with the entertainment world.

Later Acting Career and Fan Recognition

Kayser continued appearing in films and television projects after Mama’s Family. His later credits include Journey of the Heart, More Than Puppy Love, Double Teamed, Shimmer, All Roads Lead Home, House of Forbidden Secrets, House of the Witchdoctor, It’s Here, and the 2023 project TNT Jackson, in which he was credited as Police Chief Brad King.

His acting career became more occasional rather than full time.

That distinction matters. Kayser did not completely abandon acting. Instead, he changed the terms of his relationship with it.

Horror conventions became an especially natural home. Fans of Night of the Creeps continue to recognize him, while Mama’s Family viewers remember Bubba Higgins with enormous affection. Convention appearances have included events associated with Crypticon, HorrorHound, NJ Horror Con, Fanboy Expo, Living Dead Weekend, and other nostalgia and genre gatherings.

In 2025, Kayser was announced as a VIP guest for the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival, appearing at its Nostalgia Autograph Show. It was a fitting return because the same festival had honored him with his Missouri Walk of Fame induction three years earlier.

Alan Kayser’s Family Focus and Private Personality

Kayser has described himself as having a compulsive or addictive personality when he was younger. His decision to leave Los Angeles was connected not simply to career frustrations but to the kind of person he wanted to become.

He has spoken about not wanting to become a broke actor or a caricature of himself.

That sentence captures the unusual wisdom behind his career transition. Fame can become a treadmill. Kayser appears to have recognized that the destination mattered more than staying on the track.

Family became the center of that destination.

His first marriage brought two children and eventually three grandsons into his extended family. His marriage to Sara brought twin sons and a new chapter of fatherhood. His later public comments often sound less like those of a former teen idol and more like those of a husband and father who enjoys the simple architecture of daily life.

Motorcycle riding has remained another personal interest, providing a different kind of freedom from the structured world of television production.

Alan Kayser’s Finances and Working Life

Popular celebrity websites estimate Kayser’s net worth at $1.5 million. Consider these data cautiously because they are not confirmed financial disclosures.

The public version of his narrative is more modest. Kayser has had many other professions, including postal labour, and has discussed the difficulties of making a living following his acting career.

Mama’s Family and interest in his previous films have earned Kayser professional prominence, but he has never lived lavishly on old Hollywood profits.

Thus, his financial tale is about reinvention rather than numbers. He left television celebrity, performed regular jobs, raised a family, and resumed acting when he wanted to.

Alan Kayser’s Enduring Place in Pop Culture

There are two very different doors through which people discover Alan Kayser.

One opens onto the warm, comedic world of Mama’s Family, where Bubba Higgins remains one of the show’s memorable younger characters.

The other opens onto the darker, stranger universe of Night of the Creeps, where practical effects, horror comedy, alien parasites, and 1980s energy collide.

Together, those roles give Kayser a surprisingly durable pop culture footprint.

He may not have remained a conventional Hollywood celebrity, but that was never the only way to build a lasting career. Sometimes a performer becomes part of popular memory through a handful of perfectly timed roles, then carries those roles into a quieter life.

Kayser has done exactly that while keeping his family largely outside the spotlight.

FAQ

Who is Alan Kayser?

Alan Kayser, whose full name is Allan Joseph Kayser II, is an American actor best known for playing Bubba Higgins on Mama’s Family.

When was Alan Kayser born?

Alan Kayser was born on December 18, 1963, in Littleton, Colorado.

Who is Alan Kayser married to?

Alan Kayser has been married to Sara Kayser since August 23, 2014.

Does Alan Kayser have children?

Yes. He has two children from his first marriage and twin sons with his current wife Sara.

Who was Alan Kayser’s first wife?

His first wife was Lori Kayser, whom he met after a personal appearance in Missouri.

How many grandchildren does Alan Kayser have?

Kayser has publicly mentioned three grandsons from his first family.

What was Alan Kayser’s role on Mama’s Family?

He played Bubba Higgins, the energetic and good natured grandson character, from 1986 through 1990.

Was Alan Kayser in Night of the Creeps?

Yes. Kayser played Brad in the 1986 cult horror comedy Night of the Creeps.

Where does Alan Kayser live?

Kayser has lived in the Kansas City, Missouri area for many years and has kept his family life largely private.

What does Alan Kayser do now?

Alongside occasional acting and convention appearances, Kayser has worked regular jobs and was working as a postal carrier by 2021.

Did Alan Kayser receive an award for Mama’s Family?

He received a Young Artist Award nomination in 1989 for his work on Mama’s Family.

When was Alan Kayser inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame?

Kayser was inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame in 2022 during the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri.