American actor Tom Skerritt, known for “Alien”, “Top Gun” and the series “Picket Fences”, has died. He died on Wednesday, October 21, at the age of 93; his family said the cause was natural causes.
Variety confirmed the actor’s death, citing his publicist. According to a statement from the family, quoted by ABC7 and Fox News, Skerritt died of natural causes. The Hollywood Reporter says it happened in Seattle. “We are devastated by his passing,” the family wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Who Tom Skerritt was
Thomas Roy Skerritt was born on August 25, 1933, in Detroit. According to Variety, he studied at Wayne State University and UCLA, and earlier served in the US Air Force. The Hollywood Reporter says he enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school in 1951. He made his film debut in 1962 and over more than 60 years appeared in several hundred productions.
His breakthrough came with the role of Duke Forrest in Robert Altman’s “M*A*S*H” from 1970. He later appeared in “Fuzz”, “Ice Castles” and “Big Bad Mama”, among others. In 1979 he played Captain Dallas in Ridley Scott’s “Alien”. The Hollywood Reporter writes that he initially turned down the role, fearing the budget would be eaten up by special effects, but changed his mind when he learned that Scott would direct the film.
Most important roles
- “Top Gun” (1986) – Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf, a pilot instructor;
- “Steel Magnolias” – the husband of the character played by Sally Field;
- “A River Runs Through It” – a film with Brad Pitt;
- “Contact” (1997) – a role alongside Jodie Foster;
- “Picket Fences” (1992–1996) – Sheriff Jimmy Brock.
For “Picket Fences”, Skerritt won an Emmy in 1993 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and was nominated for the award again a year later. The series was created by David E. Kelley. On stage, the actor made his Broadway debut in 2013 in the adaptation of John Grisham’s “A Time to Kill”, and in 2004 he appeared in “Our Town” at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre, as ABC7 recalls, citing AP. NPR describes him as an actor who most often played fathers, police officers and commanders.
Family
According to Variety, Skerritt was married three times: to Charlotte Shanks (1957–1972) and Sue Oran (1977–1992), both marriages ended in divorce. From 1998 his wife was Julie Tokashiki. ABC7 reports that the family remembers him as a husband, the father of five children and a grandfather. In the statement, they wrote that the world knew him for his career, while they knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom and generosity. They also stressed that he cared about imagination, storytelling, veterans and nature.
What it means for viewers in Poland
“Alien” and “Top Gun” have for years been regularly shown on television and streaming services, so many people know Skerritt from these roles. As of publication, no information about funeral arrangements has been released.
