Tom Skerritt, the actor known for “Alien,” “Top Gun” and the CBS drama “Picket Fences,” has died at 93. His publicist confirmed the death to CBS News on Thursday, and his family said he died Wednesday of natural causes.
“We are heartbroken by his loss,” the family said. “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.”
Skerritt grew up in Detroit and spent four years in the Air Force before studying filmmaking at UCLA.
His first film role came in the 1962 Korean War picture “War Hunt,” which also marked the debuts of Robert Redford, Sydney Pollack and Francis Ford Coppola.
He played the doomed captain of the ship Nostromo in “Alien” and Tom Cruise’s flight instructor in “Top Gun.”
Redford later cast him as the Rev. John Maclean in “A River Runs Through It.” On television, his role as the small-town sheriff in “Picket Fences” won him the 1993 Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series.
He is survived by his third wife, Julie Tokashiki, and five children.
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