Tom Skerritt, star of 'Alien' and 'Top Gun,' dies at 93
Actor Tom Skerritt, known for "Alien," "Top Gun" and "Picket Fences," has died at 93, the BBC, NPR, ABC News and AP reported. He died Wednesday of natural causes, his family said, according to the BBC, ABC News and AP. He won an Emmy in 1993 for playing a small-town sheriff on "Picket Fences."
Tom Skerritt, the actor known for "Alien," "Top Gun" and "Picket Fences," has died. He was 93, according to the BBC, NPR, ABC News and AP.
He died Wednesday of natural causes, his family said in a statement, the BBC, ABC News and AP reported. NPR said the news came in a statement from a representative.
"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, according to AP.
Skerritt was born in Detroit in 1933, ABC News reported. He served in the Air Force before he turned to acting, the BBC, NPR and ABC News reported.
His first film was the 1962 war drama "War Hunt," which also starred Robert Redford, ABC News and AP reported. He was in Robert Altman's 1970 film "M*A*S*H," NPR and ABC News reported.
In 1979, he played Captain Dallas in "Alien," ABC News reported. NPR also named the role, and AP called him the doomed captain of the ship. In 1986, he played Viper opposite Tom Cruise in "Top Gun," ABC News reported. AP described the role as a flight instructor. He was also in "Steel Magnolias," "A River Runs Through It" and "Contact," ABC News reported.
On TV, he played Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the CBS drama "Picket Fences," which ran from 1992 to 1996, ABC News reported. The role won him the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1993, AP and ABC News reported. AP said he was nominated twice, both times for that show.
Lauren Holly, who played his deputy on the show, called him "our leader" in a tribute, the BBC reported. "He had a huge impact on my life," she wrote, according to the BBC.
Off screen, he helped found TheFilmSchool in Seattle, the BBC and ABC News reported. He also co-founded the Red Badge Project, which helps veterans tell their stories, NPR and ABC News reported.
He is survived by his wife, Julie Tokashiki, five children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, ABC News reported. His family said details on a memorial will come later, according to ABC News.
What we know: Skerritt died Wednesday at 93 of natural causes, his family said.
What we don't: When or where a memorial will be held.
Where outlets agree The BBC, NPR, ABC News and AP report that Skerritt died at 93, and NPR, ABC News and AP report that he won an Emmy in 1993 for "Picket Fences."
Where they differ The BBC, ABC News and AP attribute the cause and day of death to a statement from his family, while NPR attributes them to a statement from a representative.