Emmy-Winning Actor Tom Skerritt, Star of 'Alien' and 'Top Gun', Dies at 93

Tom Skerritt, one of Hollywood's most recognisable character actors across five decades of film and television, died on Wednesday, October 22, 2026, of natural causes. He was 93. His family confirmed the news in a statement, saying: "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 began his career in the 1960s and rose to wide recognition in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H (1970). He went on to appear in Alien (1979), Top Gun (1986) and Steel Magnolias (1989), cementing a reputation as a dependable, warm-hearted screen presence. On television, he played Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the CBS drama Picket Fences (1992–1996), created by David E. Kelley, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The news broke late on October 22 and dominated entertainment coverage throughout October 23, with tributes pouring in from the film and television industry.