Tom Skerritt, star of ‘Alien,’ ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Picket Fences,’ dies at 93

Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor known for roles in “Alien,” “Top Gun” and the television series “Picket Fences,” has died at 93. He died Wednesday of natural causes, according to a statement from his family.

“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,” the family said.

Skerritt played Captain Dallas in Ridley Scott’s 1979 science-fiction horror film “Alien” and flight instructor Mike “Viper” Metcalf in “Top Gun.” On television, he starred as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the CBS drama “Picket Fences” from 1992 to 1996, winning the 1993 Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.

His screen career began with the 1962 Korean War film “War Hunt.” He later appeared in Robert Altman’s “M*A*S*H,” “The Turning Point,” “The Dead Zone,” “Steel Magnolias,” “A River Runs Through It” and “Contact.” His television credits included “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “Cheers” and “The West Wing.”

A Detroit native, Skerritt served four years in the U.S. Air Force before studying filmmaking at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also performed onstage, narrating “Our Town” at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre in 2004 and making his Broadway debut in a 2013 adaptation of John Grisham’s “A Time to Kill.”