CULTCulture & Viral NO. ---
Tom Skerritt, star of Alien and Top Gun, dies at 93
The actor who played the doomed captain in Alien and the flight instructor Viper in Top Gun won the 1993 Emmy for Picket Fences. His publicist confirmed the death to CBS News.
Key takeaways
- Tom Skerritt, the actor known for Alien, Top Gun and the TV drama Picket Fences, died on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at the age of 93, according to his family.
- The family said he died of natural causes. His publicist confirmed the death to CBS News on Thursday, 22 October.
- Skerritt won the 1993 Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Picket Fences, and his film career ran for more than six decades.
Tom Skerritt dies at 93: what happened
Tom Skerritt, the American actor who played the captain of the doomed spaceship in Alien and the flight instructor Viper in Top Gun, died on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at 93. His family said he died of natural causes.
CBS News published its report at about 20:56 UTC on 22 October. ABC station 6abc ran a report later in the evening with contributions from The Associated Press, and NPR and Rolling Stone also reported the death. The news spread quickly on social media after the entertainment account Pop Base posted it on X.
In a statement quoted by CBS News, the family said: "We are heartbroken by his loss." According to the AP-contributed report, the family also said they knew him "for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity and the love he brought into our lives."
What we know and what we don't know yet
Confirmed
- Skerritt died on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, aged 93 (family statement, reported by CBS News and 6abc/AP).
- The cause was natural causes, according to his family.
- His publicist confirmed the death to CBS News.
- Reports say he is survived by his wife and five children.
Not yet known
- Where he died has not been stated in the reports we reviewed.
- Plans for a funeral or public memorial have not been announced.
Background: a six-decade career
Skerritt was born in Detroit, Michigan, on 25 August 1933. He grew up in a middle-class family, served in the US Air Force from 1951 to 1955, studied at Wayne State University and then moved to UCLA to study filmmaking, according to CBS News and his published biography.
His first film role came in War Hunt (1962), the same film in which Robert Redford made his screen debut. He later took small parts for director Robert Altman in M*A*S*H and Thieves Like Us, and played a motorcycle police officer in Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude.
His wider fame came in the late 1970s and 1980s. He played Shirley MacLaine's husband in The Turning Point, a role that won him recognition from the National Board of Review, then commanded the Nostromo in Ridley Scott's Alien. In Top Gun he played Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf, the instructor to Tom Cruise's character.
On television, he played the businessman Evan Drake in the sixth season of Cheers, and then Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences from 1992 to 1996. That role brought him both of his Emmy nominations and the 1993 award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series. Later TV work included the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters and TNT's Leverage.
He also worked on stage. He narrated Our Town at Seattle's Intiman Theatre in 2004 and made his Broadway debut in A Time to Kill in 2013. In a 1997 interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, quoted in the AP-contributed report, he recalled that a writer had once called him "a character actor locked in a leading man's body."
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | War Hunt | First film role (sergeant) |
| 1970 | M*A*S*H | Supporting role |
| 1977 | The Turning Point | Shirley MacLaine's husband |
| 1979 | Alien | Dallas, captain of the Nostromo |
| 1986 | Top Gun | Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf |
| 1989 | Steel Magnolias | Sally Field's husband |
| 1992 | A River Runs Through It | Rev. John Maclean |
| 1992–1996 | Picket Fences (TV) | Sheriff Jimmy Brock (Emmy, 1993) |
| 1997 | Contact | Supporting role opposite Jodie Foster |
Sources: CBS News, 6abc/The Associated Press, Wikipedia filmography (accessed 22 October 2026).
What it means
Skerritt was a supporting actor who appeared in some of the most-watched American films of his era. His roles in Alien and Top Gun are still shown and referenced decades later, and his Picket Fences Emmy marked a rare lead-actor win for a performer best known for character parts. Away from the screen, reports note that he helped found TheFilmSchool in Seattle and co-founded the Red Badge Project, a writing program for military veterans.
For more entertainment news, see our coverage of the Glee reboot series order at Disney+ and Hulu, the Lego and Daft Punk partnership, U2's Carnaval de Luz Latin America tour and the Booker Prize shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
How did Tom Skerritt die?
His family said he died of natural causes on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at the age of 93. His publicist confirmed the death to CBS News on 22 October.
Who did Tom Skerritt play in Top Gun and Alien?
In Top Gun (1986) he played Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf, the flight instructor. In Alien (1979) he played Dallas, captain of the spaceship Nostromo.
Did Tom Skerritt win an Emmy?
Yes. He won the 1993 Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences. Both of his Emmy nominations came for that series.
Sources
- CBS News: Tom Skerritt, known for roles in "Alien," "Top Gun" and TV's "Picket Fences," dies at age 93
- 6abc / The Associated Press: Tom Skerritt, actor known for 'Top Gun,' 'River Runs Through It' and 'Picket Fences,' dies at 93
- NPR: Tom Skerritt, who starred in 'Picket Fences,' 'Alien' and 'Top Gun' has died
- Rolling Stone: Tom Skerritt, 'Alien' and 'Picket Fences' Actor, Dead at 93
- Wikipedia: Tom Skerritt
- Pop Base on X (social media post)
