Actor Tom Skerritt, star of Alien and Top Gun, dies at 93

· Politics · United States

US actor Tom Skerritt, known for his roles in Alien and Top Gun and his Emmy-winning work on the television series Picket Fences, has died at the age of 93, his family and publicist said. He died of natural causes. Skerritt played the doomed captain in Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien and a tough flight instructor in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, and also appeared in M*A*S*H and A River Runs Through It during a career spanning six decades. He won an Emmy for Picket Fences. The death was confirmed to Variety by his publicist and announced by his family in a statement.

Why it matters：Skerritt's six-decade career across landmark films and television makes his death a notable moment in global screen culture.

Key points

  • Played the captain in 1979's Alien and a flight instructor in 1986's Top Gun
  • Won an Emmy for the TV series Picket Fences
  • Career spanned six decades, including M*A*S*H and A River Runs Through It

Sources (original reporting)

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