Tom Skerritt: Alien, Top Gun and Picket Fences Star Dies at 93

Tom Skerritt was an American actor. Born on August 25, 1933, in Detroit, Michigan, he served in the U.S. Air Force before beginning a screen career that began with the film War Hunt in 1962.

He played Duke Forrest in the Robert Altman film M*A*S*H, Captain Dallas in Alien, and Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Top Gun. His other films included Steel Magnolias, A River Runs Through It and Contact. On television he starred as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences, which won him an Emmy Award in 1993 for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.

His family confirmed his death to Fox News Digital on October 21, 2026, saying he died of natural causes at age 93 and that memorial details would be shared later.

Achievements: Emmy Award winner (1993), Picket Fences.

Birth: August 25, 1933 - Detroit, Michigan.

Profession: Actor.

Interesting Facts: He co-founded the Red Badge Project, which helps veterans through writing, and helped found TheFilmSchool in Seattle.