Tom Skerritt, Emmy-winning actor with roles in ‘Picket Fences,’ ‘Alien’ and ‘Top Gun,’ dies at 93
The Detroit native won an Emmy for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the CBS drama and appeared in films including Alien, Top Gun and Steel Magnolias.
- Actor Tom Skerritt died Wednesday of natural causes at age 93, his family announced on Thursday. The beloved performer left behind a six-decade career spanning blockbuster films and acclaimed television.
- Skerritt's breakthrough came in the 1970 feature "M*A*S*H," where he played Southern surgeon Duke Forrest. He later gained widespread acclaim for roles in "Alien," "Top Gun," and as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in "Picket Fences."
- Beyond blockbuster hits, Skerritt earned praise for dramatic turns in "A River Runs Through It" and "The Turning Point." He also portrayed the father in "Steel Magnolias" and a motorcycle cop in "Harold and Maude."
- Outside acting, Skerritt co-founded the Red Badge Project to help veterans work through PTSD, anxiety, and depression. His family, including wife Julie Tokashiki, remembered his "humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity and the love he brought."
- Born in Detroit in 1933, Skerritt served in the Air Force before studying English at Wayne State University. His early military experience and education shaped his approach to storytelling and character creation throughout his career.
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The actor also gave the replica to Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field and Jodie Foster during his long career.
Actor Tom Skerritt dies at 93
Emmy-winning actor Tom Skerritt, who starred in Hollywood megahits including the sci-fi classic "Alien," the war comedy "M*A*S*H," and the action drama "Top Gun," has died at the age of 93. Skerritt, a Detroit native whose Hollywood career spanned from the 1960s to the 2020s, died on Wednesday of natural causes, his family said in a statement. "While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humour, curiosity, …
His career spanned seven decades, on screen and on television: Tom Skerritt was enthusiastic about the audience alongside Tom Cruise and Sigourney Weaver. Now he died in his old age.
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Le Journal de MontrealHe has played in the films Top Gun, Contact and Steel Magnolias.
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