Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor who starred in Top Gun and the TV series Picket Fences, has died at age 93.

Skerritt died on Wednesday of natural causes, according to his family. In his work, he embodied a solid, wry authority figure, whether as a flight instructor in Top Gun , a tough-but-fair sheriff in Picket Fences or the doomed captain of Alien .

“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. He cared deeply about imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world and helping others find and share their own voices,” his family wrote.

Skerritt was nominated for an Emmy twice, both for Picket Fences , and won outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1993.

Tom Skerritt with his wife, Julie Tokashiki, at the IWC Schaffhausen Top Gun Gala Event on January 17, 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland (Getty Images for IWC)

Other career highlights include playing Shirley…