Hollywood star Tom Skerritt, best known for his roles in Alien and Top Gun as well as a host of top television series, has passed away at the age of 93 after a long career on screen
Tom Skerritt has died at the age of 93. The actor was best known for starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as Top Gun and Alien but passed away on Wednesday at his home in Seattle after a career spanning 65 years.
It was confirmed by his family that the actor had died of natural causes. In a statement, they said: “While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humour, curiosity, wisdom, generosity and the love he brought into our lives. He cared deeply about imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world and helping others find and share their own voices.”
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1933, Tom served four years in the United States Air Force after graduating from high school. Following this, he attended UCLA where he majored in English but took an interest in acting and directing.
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He appeared in a production of The Rainmaker and was quickly chosen to take on a part in the film War Hunt, which inspired him to leave university without obtaining his degree so he could pursue acting full time.
Following small roles in a host of television series, Tom quickly found fame when he was cast in the part of Duke Forrest in Robert Altman’s feature film M*A*S*H in 1970.
He reportedly turned down the chance to reprise his role in the TV series, believing that the story would not lend itself to a half-hour sitcom format.
In actual fact, the TV series M*A*SH went on to run for more than 250 episodes over the course of 11 seasons and the series finale was, for almost 30 years, the most-watched broadcast in the United States.
In 1979, he held the leading role of Dallas in Alien opposite Sigourney Weaver and went on to star as Commander Mike Metcalfe in the 1986 film Top Gun.
More acting success followed and held a recurring role as Evan Drake on the sitcom Cheers before going on to win an Emmy for his role of Sherriff Jimmy Brock on the family drama Picket Fences in the early 1990s.
In the 2000s, he appeared in other hit series such as Will & GRace, Law and Order and The West Wing. His final screen appearance came in 2025 when he played the part of Cliff in the Western drama Broke alongside Wyatt Russell and Dennis Quaid.
The star was initially married to Charlotte Shanks from 1957 until 1972 and has three children with her. From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, he was married to Sue Oran, with whom he has a son, and is survived by his wife Julie Tokashiki. The pair married in 1996 and went on to have a daughter together.
Tributes poured in for the Hollywood star, with one fan writing on X:”An endless credit of movies by Tom Skerritt, a great actor and person. Thank You Tom!” whilst another wrote: “Tom Skerritt was rarely your favorite character in a movie but he always seemed to be an important part of many people’s favorite movies. So solid. RIP”
A third said: “I think what made Tom Skerritt special was his ability to make every character feel authentic. He didn’t need to dominate every scene to leave an impression. Sometimes, all it took was his presence, his voice, and the quiet authority he brought to the screen.”
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