Tom Skerritt, star of 'Alien,' 'Top Gun' and 'Picket Fences,' dies at 93

Tom Skerritt, an actor whose six-decade career spanned war dramas, Robert Altman's 'M*A*S*H,' the sci-fi horror classic 'Alien,' the blockbuster 'Top Gun' and the television series 'Picket Fences,' died on Wednesday at age 93, according to his family. The family did not specify where he died, and said he died of natural causes.

News of his death was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed by multiple outlets, including ABC7 and ComicBook.com, which cited a statement from his family.

Who was Tom Skerritt

Thomas Roy Skerritt was born on August 25, 1933, in Detroit, Michigan, according to Wikipedia. He served in the United States Air Force as a classifications specialist from 1951 to 1955 before studying at UCLA, where he discovered acting while appearing in a production of 'The Rainmaker.'

He made his film debut in 'War Hunt' in 1962. His breakthrough came in 1970 as Duke Forrest in Robert Altman's 'M*A*S*H,' per Wikipedia and martincid.com. ComicBook.com reported that Skerritt amassed more than 170 acting credits over his career.

Defining roles: Dallas, Viper and Sheriff Brock

Skerritt is best remembered for playing Captain Dallas, the doomed commander of the Nostromo in Ridley Scott's 'Alien' (1979), according to ComicBook.com. He later voiced the same character 35 years later for a downloadable chapter of the video game 'Alien: Isolation,' the outlet reported.

In 1986 he played Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf, the instructor who oversees Tom Cruise's character, in 'Top Gun,' per martincid.com and Wikipedia. From 1992 to 1996 he starred as small-town Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the CBS drama 'Picket Fences,' a role for which he won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 and received a nomination the following year, according to Wikipedia.

Other notable work

Skerritt's filmography also includes 'Harold and Maude,' 'Up in Smoke,' 'Steel Magnolias' (1989), 'A River Runs Through It' (1992), 'The Dead Zone' and 'Contact' (1997), according to ComicBook.com and Wikipedia. He had a recurring role on 'Cheers' from 1987 to 1988 and appeared in television series including 'Combat!,' 'The Virginian,' '12 O'Clock High,' 'Gunsmoke' and 'The Fugitive,' per Wikipedia and ComicBook.com.

At age 88 he landed his first leading film role in 'East of the Mountains' (2021), which earned him a Satellite Award nomination, according to martincid.com. His final film, 'Broke,' co-starring Wyatt Russell and Dennis Quaid, was released in 2025, ComicBook.com reported.

Beyond acting, Skerritt co-founded TheFilmSchool in Seattle to support independent filmmakers and, in 2012, co-founded the Red Badge Project, which uses creative writing to help military veterans cope with post-traumatic stress, according to ABC7 and martincid.com. He received the honorary Mary Pickford Award in 2022, per martincid.com.

Family

Skerritt married three times: to Charlotte Shanks from 1957 to 1972, with whom he had three children; to Sue Oran from 1977 to 1992, with whom he had one son; and to Julie Tokashiki from 1998 (Wikipedia lists the marriage from 1996) until his death, with whom he had one daughter, according to Wikipedia. ABC7 reported that he is survived by his wife, Julie, children Andy, Erin, Matt, Collin and Emiko, grandchildren Sara, Maddison, Sunny, Louisa and Georgia, and great-grandchildren Marigold and Ravi.

No memorial service details had been announced at the time of the initial reports.