A long successful career: M*A*S*H, Alien, and Top Gun just to name a few of the flicks he was in. RIP.
Posted on 10/22/2026 4:19:04 PM PDT by Rummyfan
Tom Skerritt, who starred in the TV series “Picket Fences” and appeared in movies ranging from “MASH” to “Alien,” “Top Gun,” “A River Runs Through It” and “Ted,” died on Wednesday of natural causes, Variety has confirmed with his publicist. He was 93.
The lean, rugged, mustachioed actor won an Emmy in 1993 and was also nominated in 1994 for playing Jimmy Brock, sheriff of the oddball town at the center of David E. Kelley’s CBS dramedy “Picket Fences.” He also shared SAG Award nominations for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series for “Picket Fences” in 1995 and 1996 while also being nominated for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series in 1995.
In the 2000s he guested on “The West Wing” as a senator, on “Law & Order: SVU” as a biased judge and on HBO’s “Huff” as the father of Hank Azaria’s title character, replacing Robert Forster in the role. He recurred from 2006-09 on ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters” as family patriarch William Walker and guested on “The Good Wife” in 2014 and on “Madam Secretary” in 2015.
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
A long successful career: M*A*S*H, Alien, and Top Gun just to name a few of the flicks he was in. RIP.
That’s the second time he’s died today.
He had a recurring role on Cheers for one year. Good actor.
Slow learner, I guess.
RE: on “Law & Order: SVU” as a biased judge ...
That narrows it down to about 79 episodes. Real life is far higher a percentage.
Wasn’t he in “Fuzz” with Burt Reynolds and Racquel Welch ? IIRC, as an undercover cop he gets tangles up in a sleeping bag with Racquel Welch !!!!!
Vaguely remember the movie but this is the first I’ve been told someone else was in it with her. 😇
I could be wrong. I saw the movie on TV and I believe I’m right. I’d bet a Coke on it, but not my house !! LOL
Best role was captain of the Nostromo in Alien.
Really liked him. Real loss.
Yep you’re correct. Reynolds, Welch, Skerritt and Yul Brynner and Jack Weston are the billed stars of Fuzz from 1972. All are gone now.
Always liked him. RIP.
He played a cop in Stephen King’s The Dead Zone.
Damn. Alien is one of my favorite all-time films and he was perfect in the role of Dallas, the ship’s captain.
He was starred in one of my favorite all time bad films, The Devil’s Rain which also featured William Shatner and Ernest Borgnine.
Rest in Peace.
Damn. Alien is one of my favorite all-time films and he was perfect in the role of Dallas, the ship’s captain.
He was starred in one of my favorite all time bad films, The Devil’s Rain which also featured William Shatner and Ernest Borgnine.
Rest in Peace.
What a cast !!!
Almost as good as “The Great Escape”.
What I would have given to get caught in a sleeping bag with Racquel Welch. Without question, the best 15 seconds of her life !!
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