Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor known for portraying solid, authoritative characters in films and television, has died at the age of 93. His family confirmed he passed away from natural causes on October 21, 2026.

Skerritt’s career spanned several decades, during which he earned acclaim for his roles as the flight instructor in "Top Gun," the sheriff in the television series "Picket Fences," and the doomed captain of the spaceship Nostromo in "Alien." He won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 for his work on "Picket Fences," and was nominated for the award twice for the same role. The show, created by David E. Kelley, ran from 1992 to 1996 and won multiple Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. Skerritt portrayed a kind sheriff in the fictional community of Rome, Wisconsin, where unusual events occur, such as a robber leaving a trail of frogs and the pope being a key witness in a murder case.

Born and raised in a middle-class Detroit family, Skerritt served four years in the U.S. Air Force before studying filmmaking at the University of California, Los Angeles, inspired by the film "Citizen Kane." He began his acting career on stage and secured his first film role in the 1962 war drama "War Hunt," alongside Robert Redford, Sydney Pollack, and Francis Ford Coppola. Although Redford initially won the lead role they both sought, Skerritt and Redford developed a lifelong friendship. Redford later cast Skerritt in "A River Runs Through It" as the stern Rev. John Maclean, a role that received positive critical attention.

Skerritt’s film credits include playing the patient husbands of Shirley MacLaine in "Turning Point" and Sally Field in "Steel Magnolias," as well as a government science adviser in "Contact," who opposes efforts to communicate with extraterrestrials. He also had supporting roles in notable films such as "M.A.S.H.," "Thieves Like Us," and "Harold and Maude." Despite his early struggle for substantial screen time, his performance in "The Turning Point" earned a National Board of Review award. He was drawn to the "Alien" script partly because of its focus on a female protagonist, a departure from typical genre conventions. In "Top Gun," he delivered memorable lines to Tom Cruise’s character as the revered flight instructor.

In addition to his screen work, Skerritt performed on stage, including narrating "Our Town" in Seattle and making his Broadway debut in 2013 in a production of John Grisham’s "A Time to Kill," where critics praised his portrayal of a flawed lawyer.

Though directing was an early ambition, Skerritt focused primarily on acting to support his family but did direct and star in the 1997 television movie "Divided by Hate." His family remembered him not only for his career but also for his humor, generosity, and dedication to creativity, storytelling, veterans, and the natural world.

He is survived by his third wife, Julie Tokashiki, and five children.