The Emmy-winning actor built a career spanning more than six decades, from M*A*S*H and Alien to Picket Fences, while supporting veterans, filmmakers and conservation efforts.
Veteran actor Tom Skerritt, whose career included memorable roles in M*A*S*H, Alien, Top Gun, Steel Magnolias and the television series Picket Fences, has died at age 93.
Skerritt died Wednesday, October 21, of natural causes, his family announced. They remembered the actor for far more than his accomplishments on screen.
"We are heartbroken by his loss," the family said in a statement. "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."
His family also remembered his commitment to imagination, creativity, storytelling, veterans, the natural world and helping others find their own voices.
Born Thomas Roy Skerritt on August 25, 1933, in Detroit, Michigan, he initially had ambitions beyond acting. After graduating from Mackenzie High School in 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, hoping military service would allow him to see the world. Following his service, he attended Wayne State University before transferring to UCLA, where he began exploring acting while considering a future as a writer or director.
Skerritt made his film debut in War Hunt (1962), a Korean War drama featuring John Saxon, Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford and Gavin MacLeod. The experience introduced him to the practical side of filmmaking and helped launch a career that would take him from television guest appearances to major Hollywood productions.
His career gained momentum with Robert Altman's M*A*S*H (1970), the irreverent military comedy that became one of the year's biggest hits. Skerritt played Captain Augustus Bedford "Duke" Forrest, a surgeon serving alongside Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland) and Trapper John McIntyre (Elliott Gould) at a mobile Army surgical hospital during the Korean War.
Skerritt credited Altman with giving him the confidence to experiment with his character and take creative risks.
"I just loved the guy from the first," Skerritt said of Altman. "He made me realize early on that you could do no wrong, as long as you tried."
Following M*A*S*H, Skerritt appeared in Wild Rovers (1971), Harold and Maude (1971), Fuzz (1972), Thieves Like Us (1974), Big Bad Mama (1974) and Ice Castles (1978).
His television work during the 1960s and 1970s was equally extensive, with appearances on popular series including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Fugitive, The Virginian, Mannix and The F.B.I.
One of Skerritt's most enduring film performances came in Ridley Scott's science-fiction horror classic Alien (1979). He portrayed Captain Arthur Dallas, commander of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo, whose crew encounters a deadly extraterrestrial creature.
Seven years later, he appeared as Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Tony Scott's Top Gun (1986), playing the experienced naval aviator who helps train an elite group of fighter pilots, including Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
Other notable film appearances included The Turning Point (1977), Steel Magnolias (1989), The Rookie (1990), A River Runs Through It (1992), Contact (1997), The Other Sister (1999) and Tears of the Sun (2003).
Later credits included Bonneville (2006), A Hologram for the King (2016) and Day of Days (2017). In 2021, Skerritt took on a rare leading role in East of the Mountains, portraying a retired heart surgeon and recent widower confronting a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Skerritt also found major television success in the 1990s with Picket Fences, the CBS drama created by David E. Kelley.
The series followed the unusual residents of Rome, Wisconsin, where bizarre crimes and eccentric local disputes regularly challenged the community's sense of normalcy.
Skerritt starred as Sheriff Jimmy Brock, a levelheaded lawman attempting to maintain order while balancing the demands of his job and family life. His character was married to Dr. Jill Brock, played by Kathy Baker, and the couple raised three children.
His performance earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993, followed by another nomination in 1994. The role remains among the most celebrated of his career.
Outside acting, Skerritt supported emerging storytellers, military veterans and environmental conservation.
He helped establish TheFilmSchool in Seattle, an organization dedicated to helping aspiring filmmakers and writers develop their craft. The initiative reflected his belief in the value of experience, collaboration and learning from others.
His concern for veterans also led him to co-found the Red Badge Project, which uses writing and storytelling to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
Skerritt's appreciation for the outdoors became another important part of his life. Inspired in part by A River Runs Through It, he helped create and promote Reflections of the River, a documentary series examining the condition of America's rivers and the importance of protecting them.
He also supported conservation efforts through organizations and initiatives including American Rivers, the Wildlands Festival and the Gallatin River Task Force.
Skerritt married his third wife, Julie Tokashiki, in 1998. She survives him, along with his five children, Andy, Erin, Matt, Collin and Emiko.
Skerritt leaves behind more than six decades of film and television work, including memorable performances in M*A*S*H, Alien, Top Gun and Picket Fences. He also leaves a record of service to veterans, aspiring filmmakers, and environmental organizations.
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