Tom Skerritt, who starred in 'Picket Fences,' 'Alien' and 'Top Gun' has died Skerritt was Captain Dallas in Alien , Viper in Top Gun , and a small town sheriff in the TV series Picket Fences .

Obituaries

October 22, 2026 4:12 PM ET

Actor Tom Skerritt, pictured above in 2018, has died. Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

There's no avoiding the word rugged with Tom Skerritt. There was the mustache, the jaw, the crinkly eyes, and the cool authoritarian bearing he brought to memorable roles as commanding officers, dads and cops.

Skerritt died of natural causes on Wednesday, according to a statement from a representative. He was 93 years old.

He was Captain Dallas in Alien . Viper in Top Gun . An enlistee in the original movie M*A*S*H ( playing one of the few characters who didn't transition to the later television series.) A Vietnam vet in the Cheech and Chong stoner classic, Up In Smoke .…