Tom Skerritt, ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Alien’ Actor, Dies at 93

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The Emmy-winning star of “Picket Fences” built a screen career spanning more than six decades.

Tom Skerritt, the veteran American actor known for his performances in Top Gun, Alien and Picket Fences, has died at 93. His family confirmed that he died on October 21, 2026, of natural causes.

Skerritt brought a steady presence to some of Hollywood’s most enduring films. In Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), he played Dallas, captain of the spaceship Nostromo, opposite Sigourney Weaver. In Top Gun (1986), he became familiar to another generation as Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf, the experienced flight instructor overseeing Tom Cruise’s Maverick.

His range extended well beyond those signature roles. He played surgeon Duke Forrest in Robert Altman’s MASH* and appeared in Steel Magnolias, A River Runs Through It and Contact, moving between comedy, family drama and science fiction.

Television brought him some of his greatest recognition. As Sheriff Jimmy Brock in David E. Kelley’s Picket Fences, Skerritt anchored the series throughout its four-season run. The performance earned him the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1993. He also appeared as Evan Drake in Cheers, with further credits including Brothers & Sisters and The West Wing.

Born in Detroit on August 25, 1933, Skerritt made his film debut in the 1962 war drama War Hunt. He went on to accumulate more than 170 screen credits, with his final screen appearance coming in the 2025 Western Broke.

In their statement, his family remembered his humor, generosity and devotion to creativity, service and the natural world. He is survived by his wife, Julie, and five children. The family requested privacy and said information about a memorial would be shared later.