Actor Tom Skerritt Dies at 93, and His Long and Storied Career Matches a Life Well-Lived

Tom Skerritt's original career aim was to be a fighter pilot. When that didn't suit, he meandered into other things, and then ended up in film school at UCLA where he thought he would become a writer and director. So, for him, acting was a means to an end, a device to try and overcome his shyness. 

Can you imagine if he had remained behind the camera rather than in front of it? We would have never had the chance to enjoy the gleam of his winning smile, the razor-sharp wit with which he delivered his lines, or the weighty and rugged charm he brought to every screen role. And over 60-plus years of more than 100 film and television appearances, Skerritt gave us many roles of memorable characters. Skerritt exemplified what a fabulous, storied, and lengthy career one can have by simply embracing every role with curiosity, gusto, and collaborativeness. Skerrit was a master at this and never, ever came off as a jaded, Hollywood star, but an actor's actor. This is probably why so many of his movies helped send the careers of his young costars into the stratosphere. Looking at you, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Brad Pitt.

Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor known for "Top Gun." "Alien" and "Picket according to PEOPLE Y AT 93 His family told the outlet he d*ed of natural causes on Oct. 21. Skerritt played Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in "Top Gun" and won an Emmy in 1993 for his role as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in "Picket Fences. :📷 Getty

— Eagle (@animal_theatre) October 22, 2026

Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor known for "Top Gun." "Alien" and "Picket according to PEOPLE Y AT 93

His family told the outlet he d*ed of natural causes on Oct. 21. Skerritt played Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in "Top Gun" and won an Emmy in 1993 for his role as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in "Picket Fences.

On Wednesday, Skerritt gave his final performance. Skerritt passed away of natural causes. He was 93 years old.

Tom Skerritt, the film and TV star known for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the David E. Kelley series Picket Fences, has died. He was 93.

The Emmy-winning actor died of natural causes on Wednesday, Oct. 21, his family confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Our family is deeply saddened to share that Tom Skerritt passed away on October 21, 2026, from natural causes,” his family said. “He was a loving husband to Julie; father to Andy, Erin, Matt, Colin, and Emiko; grandfather to Sara, Maddison, Sunny, Louisa, and Georgia; and great-grandfather to Marigold and Ravi. We are heartbroken by his loss.”

“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 statement continued.

"Picket Fences" was one of my favorite David E. Kelley series, and Skerritt optimized the already top-notch writing, bringing out the best performances in this ensemble cast. But before that, Skerritt was a recognizable face and name on the big screen with roles as Southern surgeon Duke Forrest in "M*A*S*H" (1970), as Captain Dallas in "Alien" (1979), in "Top Gun" (1986) as Tom Cruise’s Air Force instructor Mike “Viper” Metcalf, and as Presbyterian minister and patriarch Rev. McClean in "A River Runs Through It" (1992).

After his success with M*A*S*H, Skerritt began landing work in more films — Wild Rovers (1971), Fuzz (1972), Big Bad Mama (1974) and Ice Castles (1978) among them. He worked again with Altman in Thieves Like Us (1974) and did a zany turn in Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke (1978) as Strawberry, a shell-shocked, pot-dealing Vietnam veteran.

Thomas Roy Skerritt was born on Aug. 25, 1933, in the Motor City. After graduating from Mackenzie High School in 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force, hoping to see the world. Instead, lacking the skills to be a pilot, he spent most of his time in uniform in Austin as a classification specialist. Skerritt then returned to his hometown to study English at Wayne State University.

In his time at UCLA, a 1962 low-budget film ("War Hunt") set him on the trajectory of his acting career, and it became a winning one. The rest, as they say, is history.

Along with his Emmy win as lead actor for "Picket Fences" and various nominations for other roles, Skerritt was instrumental in launching Seattle's TheFilmSchool, to support the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers. Skerritt also co-founded the Red Badge Project, to help veterans work through PTSD, anxiety, and depression by writing about their experiences and sharing them collaboratively.

Inspired in part by his role in "A River Runs Through It," Skerritt dived into environmentalism. Skerritt helped create and champion "Reflections of the River," a documentary series exploring the health of America’s rivers and the urgent need to protect them. Skerritt also partnered with the Wildlands Festival, American Rivers, and the Gallatin River Task Force to promote river conservation.

Skerritt leaves behind his third wife, Julie Tokashiki, to whom he had been married for 28 years. Skerritt also leaves behind five children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

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