Actor Tom Skerritt, Known for Roles in MAS*H, Alien and Picket Fences, Dies at 93
Tom Skerritt died of natural causes at age 93, leaving a six-decade career that included notable film and television roles and an Emmy win for Picket Fences.
Tom Skerritt, the veteran actor who appeared in films such as MAS*H, Alien and Top Gun and headlined the 1990s series Picket Fences, died on Wednesday at the age of 93, his family said.
The family released a statement expressing their grief and recalling his humor, curiosity, generosity and dedication to storytelling, veterans and the natural world.
Skerritt’s career spanned more than sixty years. He played Shirley MacLaine’s husband in The Turning Point (1977), Air Force instructor Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun (1986) and the patriarch in A River Runs Through It (1992). He also portrayed sheriff Jimmy Brock on Picket Fences, a role that earned him an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1993 and a second nomination in 1994.
His breakthrough came with the 1970 film MAS*H, where he appeared as surgeon Duke Forrest. He later turned down, then accepted, the role of Captain Dallas in Alien (1979) after being impressed by director Ridley Scott’s earlier work.
"I just loved the guy from the first. He made me realize early on that you could do no wrong, as long as you tried," Skerritt recalled about director Robert Altman in a 2009 biography.
In addition to his screen work, Skerritt supported emerging filmmakers through TheFilmSchool in Seattle and co-founded the Red Badge Project, which helps veterans process trauma through writing.
He is survived by his third wife, Julie Tokashiki, his children Andy, Erin, Matt, Collin and Emiko, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.