Tom Skerritt, star of Alien and Top Gun, dies aged 93

Tom Skerritt, the American actor known for roles in Alien, Top Gun, and the television series Picket Fences, died on Wednesday of natural causes. He was 93.

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1933, Skerritt served in the US Air Force before launching a six-decade acting career. His breakthrough came in 1970 with Robert Altman's MASH, where he played army surgeon Duke Forrest alongside Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould. The Korean War comedy, released during Vietnam War protests, received five Academy Award nominations and was adapted for television two years later.

Skerritt achieved major roles in several landmark films. In Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, he played Dallas, captain of the Nostromo, and was first-billed ahead of Sigourney Weaver. The film earned two Oscar nominations and spawned three sequels and crossover projects. In 1986's Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott, he portrayed Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf, the chief instructor at Miramar Naval Air Station, opposite Tom Cruise. He reunited with Robert Redford in the 1992 drama A River Runs Through It, playing a Presbyterian minister and father to characters portrayed by Brad Pitt and Craig Sheffer.

On television, Skerritt won an Emmy Award in 1993 for his role as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in CBS's dramedy Picket Fences, created by David E. Kelley. He received additional nominations for the series in 1994 and 1995, and the ensemble cast earned Screen Actors Guild Award nominations in 1995 and 1996. His television roles included appearances on The West Wing, Law & Order: SVU, Huff, The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, and a six-episode stint on Cheers. From 2006 to 2009, he recurred on ABC's Brothers & Sisters as family patriarch William Walker.

Beyond acting, Skerritt co-founded TheFilmSchool in Seattle to support next-generation filmmakers and storytellers. He also co-founded the Red Badge Project, which helps veterans address PTSD, anxiety, and depression through writing and sharing experiences. Inspired by filming A River Runs Through It, he created the documentary series Reflections of the River focused on America's rivers and supported river conservation efforts. His family said he will be remembered "for his belief that stories can help people heal, find purpose and create change."