Tom Skerritt, the veteran American actor whose career spanned more than six decades, died at 93 from natural causes on Wednesday, his family announced in a statement.
He was widely recognized for his performances in Alien, Top Gun, and Steel Magnolias, as well as his Emmy-winning portrayal of a small-town sheriff in the television drama Picket Fences.
His final screen credit was the 2025 film Broke, marking the end of a career that began in the early 1960s.
According to his family, Skerritt's career included memorable roles in productions ranging from science fiction and military dramas to family stories and Westerns.
His family described the personal qualities that remained important to them beyond his public success.
"While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into our lives," Skerritt's family said in a statement distributed by his publicist, Susan Madore.
A Career Across Genres and Generations
The actor gained wider recognition through Robert Altman's 1970 film M*A*S*H, in which he played surgeon Duke Forrest.
Earlier in his career, he appeared primarily in Westerns before taking roles in television series including Bonanza and Gunsmoke.
He later appeared in the 1977 Oscar-nominated film The Turning Point, starring Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine.
Skerritt's role as Captain Dallas in Ridley Scott's 1979 science fiction horror film Alien further established his range.
Playing a leader aboard a commercial spacecraft threatened by a deadly creature, he shared the screen with Sigourney Weaver, whose character, Ellen Ripley, became central to the film's story.
In the 1980s, Skerritt appeared in The Dead Zone and Top Gun.
In the latter, he played Commander Mike Metcalf, known as Viper, a senior naval aviator who initially challenges the confidence of Tom Cruise's character, Maverick, before becoming a mentor to him.
He also appeared in the television comedy Cheers and played the husband of Sally Field's character and the father of Julia Roberts' character in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias.
During the 1990s, Skerritt continued taking on fatherly roles, including a reverend in Robert Redford's 1992 film A River Runs Through It, which starred Brad Pitt.
He also appeared opposite Drew Barrymore in the thriller Poison Ivy.
His television work included Picket Fences, created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on CBS from 1992 to 1996.
Skerritt played Sheriff Jimmy Brock, an aging law enforcement officer trying to maintain order in a small town.
The performance earned him the 1993 Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.
In a 2020 reflection on his career, Skerritt recalled how watching Citizen Kane while attending the University of California, Los Angeles, influenced his interest in acting.
He explained that performance offered a way to move beyond his natural shyness.
"But I was basically shy.
I could never speak in front of people, so the chance of playing someone who is not me—maybe that could break through being shy or being more outgoing, and I could learn what it felt like to be on stage," Skerritt said.
Beyond acting, Skerritt supported veterans and environmental conservation.
His family said he co-founded the Red Badge Project, which helps veterans address post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression through writing and sharing personal experiences.
He also helped develop and promote Reflections of the River, a documentary series about American rivers and the importance of protecting them.
His family said he cared deeply about creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world and helping others express themselves.
Skerritt is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to the family statement.
