Tom Skerritt, star of Picket Fences and Alien, dies at 93
The actor’s family said he died of natural causes. His screen work ranged from M*A*S*H and Alien to Top Gun and the television series Picket Fences.
Tom Skerritt, the American actor known for Alien, Top Gun and the television series Picket Fences, died on Wednesday, October 21, aged 93. ABC News reported that his family said he died of natural causes; Variety said it confirmed his death with his publicist.
‘We are heartbroken by his loss,’ his family said in a statement quoted by ABC News. The Hollywood Reporter also attributed news of his death and its reported cause to the family.
Tom Skerritt’s roles in film and television
Skerritt worked across film and television for six decades, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He appeared in the films M*A*S*H, Alien and Top Gun before taking the lead role of Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences. The series gave him one of his best-known television parts, while his film credits placed him in several prominent ensemble casts.
His screen credits also included A River Runs Through It, Ted and Steel Magnolias. Variety reported that he appeared in Mario Van Peebles’ 2010 film Redemption Road, playing the owner of a small-town honky-tonk. The range of those roles stretched from science fiction and military films to drama and comedy.
From War Hunt to Picket Fences
Born Thomas Roy Skerritt in Detroit, he attended Wayne State University and UCLA and served in the US Air Force, Variety reported. His feature-film debut came in the 1962 Korean War drama War Hunt. The film also featured John Saxon and Sydney Pollack, with Robert Redford in a small part and Francis Ford Coppola in an uncredited role.
Skerritt went on to appear in the 1965 film Those Calloways. His early television work included guest roles on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, My Three Sons, Wagon Train, The Fugitive and Gunsmoke, according to Variety. The Hollywood Reporter also listed appearances in Bonanza, Combat! and The Virginian among the television roles that preceded his later starring work.
The Hollywood Reporter said Skerritt appeared as a motorcycle police officer in the 1971 film Harold and Maude after becoming friends with its director, Hal Ashby. His later work as Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences brought him a leading television role after years of appearances in film ensembles and guest parts. Deadline reported that he won an Emmy for that performance.
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Sources and context
- Veteran actor Tom Skerritt dies at 93ABC News
- Tom Skerritt Dies: ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Picket Fences,’ ‘Alien’ Actor Was 93Deadline
- Tom Skerritt, ‘Picket Fences’ and ‘Alien’ Star, Dies at 93Variety
- Tom Skerritt, Star of ‘Picket Fences’ and ‘Alien,’ Dies at 93The Hollywood Reporter
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.