Actor Tom Skerritt, known for Alien, Top Gun and Picket Fences, has died at 93. His family said he died of natural causes on Wednesday. Skerritt worked across film and television for decades and won a 1993 Emmy for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences. He portrayed Dallas, captain of the Nostromo, in Alien and also appeared in Top Gun. His death closes a career that moved between major films and long-running television roles.
Actor Tom Skerritt died of natural causes on Wednesday, his family said. He was 93. His roles in Alien and Top Gun, as well as the television series Picket Fences, made him familiar to audiences across film and television. In announcing his death, his family also recalled his humor, curiosity and commitment to helping others tell their stories. The cause of death comes from the family’s statement.[1], [2]
Born in Detroit in 1933, Skerritt served in the US Air Force before acting. He made his film debut in 1962’s War Hunt and played army surgeon Duke Forrest in Mash in 1970. He appeared in Alien; in Top Gun he appeared opposite Tom Cruise as Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf. The roles came in different decades of a screen career that spanned roughly six decades.[1]
Skerritt won a 1993 Emmy for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock in David E. Kelley’s Picket Fences. His television work also included Cheers, The West Wing and Brothers & Sisters. Beyond acting, he co-founded Seattle’s TheFilmSchool to support emerging filmmakers. He also helped establish the Red Badge Project, which uses writing and shared stories to support veterans. Those projects extended his interest in storytelling beyond the roles for which he was known.[1]
