Actor Tom Skerritt dies at 93

Emmy-winning actor Tom Skerritt died at age 93 on Oct. 21, 2026, from natural causes, his family announced in a statement shared with People. The family described him as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and expressed deep sorrow at his loss.

Skerritt, who began his career with a breakthrough as Captain Augustus Bedford “Duke” Forrest in the 1970 film “MAS*H,” later appeared in films such as “Alien,” “Top Gun,” “Steel Magnolias” and “A River Runs Through It.” He earned an Emmy in 1993 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the CBS series “Picket Fences,” and had a recurring part as Evan Drake in season six of “Cheers.”

"A shining light of a gentle man. RIP," actress Julia Roberts wrote on Instagram, posting a photo of the two laughing together.

"I adored Tom Skerritt. I was lucky enough to work with him on more than one project, but the first was Picket Fences. He was our leader... He cared deeply for his family—both the one at home and the one at work. He cared deeply for his planet, and all of its inhabitants," co-star Lauren Holly said in a social-media tribute.

Born in Detroit in 1933, Skerritt served four years in the U.S. Air Force before attending UCLA and leaving to pursue acting. He married Julie Tokashiki in 1998, with whom he had a daughter, and had three children with his first wife, Charlotte Shanks, and a son with his second wife, Sue Oran.