Tom Skerritt
Known for
A veteran American actor with a long, distinguished career in film and television, born in Detroit. Tom Skerritt brought weathered authority to Captain Dallas in Ridley Scott's 'Alien' (1979), the flight instructor Viper in 'Top Gun' (1986) and a supporting role in 'Contact' (1997). An Emmy winner for the series 'Picket Fences', he worked steadily for over half a century. A dependable, quietly commanding presence, he specialised in men of experience and gravitas across genres from science fiction to drama.
Tom Skerritt
68 Movies
47 Series
A veteran American actor with a long, distinguished career in film and television, born in Detroit. Tom Skerritt brought weathered authority to Captain Dallas in Ridley Scott's 'Alien' (1979), the flight instructor Viper in 'Top Gun' (1986) and a supporting role in 'Contact' (1997). An Emmy winner for the series 'Picket Fences', he worked steadily for over half a century. A dependable, quietly commanding presence, he specialised in men of experience and gravitas across genres from science fiction to drama.
Movies
Plays Dallas
Alien
1979
Plays David Drumlin
Contact
1997
Plays Captain Bill Rhodes
Tears of the Sun
2003
Plays Duke Forrest
M*A*S*H
1970
Plays Viper
Top Gun
1986
Plays Tom Skerritt
Ted
2012
Plays Ron Clay
A Hologram for the King
2016
Plays Reverend Maclean
A River Runs Through It
1992
Plays Sheriff Bannerman
The Dead Zone
1983
Plays Dr. John Fury
Whiteout
2009
Plays Drum Eatenton
Steel Magnolias
1989
Plays Cliff
Broke
2025
Plays John Edward Marinville
Desperation
2006
Plays Eugene Ackerman
The Rookie
1990
Plays Motorcycle Officer
Harold and Maude
1971
Plays Darryl Cooper
Poison Ivy
1992
Plays Fred
Lucky
2017
Plays Mayor Weber
Singles
1992
Plays Strawberry
Up in Smoke
1978
Plays Tom Bradshaw
Greenmail
2002
Plays Emmett L. Johnson
Bonneville
2006
Plays Fred
Big Bad Mama
1974
Plays Bruce Gardner
Poltergeist III
1988
Plays Radley Tate
The Other Sister
1999
Plays Tom Preston
The Devil’s Rain
1975
Plays Zack
SpaceCamp
1986
Plays Det. Bert Kling
Fuzz
1972
Plays George Verdi
Swing
2003
Plays Dex
Catch the Bullet
2021
Plays Marcus Winston
Ice Castles
1978
Plays Ulysses S. Grant
Field of Lost Shoes
2015
Plays Horse (voice)
The Velveteen Rabbit
2009
Plays Richard Dukes
Texas Rangers
2001
Plays Frank Sedman
Knight Moves
1992
Plays Roland Emerson
At Middleton
2013
Plays Phil Carpenter
The Big Town
1987
Plays Wayne
The Turning Point
1977
Plays Sgt. Stan Showalter
War Hunt
1962
Plays Ham McDonald
Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue
1991
Producer
Plays Ben Givens
East of the Mountains
2021
Plays Charles Montgomery
Maid to Order
1987
Plays Whit Turner
Those Calloways
1964
Plays Gabe Utterson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
2008
Plays Lloyd Wisdom
Wisdom
1986
Plays Clive Farrier
For Sale by Owner
2009
Plays John D'Angelo
Fighting Back
1982
Plays Margherito
Run, Run, Joe!
1974
Plays John Buckman
Wild Rovers
1971
Plays Police Chief
Smoke Signals
1998
Plays Logan
Opposing Force
1986
TV Shows
Plays Jimmy Brock
Picket Fences
1992
Plays Self
The American West
2016
Plays William Walker
Brothers and Sisters
2006
Plays Evan Drake
Cheers
1982
Plays Dr. Thomas Ryan
Ryan's Four
1983
Plays Edmund Dano
Gunsmoke
1955
Plays Robert Hastings
The F.B.I.
1965
Plays Eric Kroeger
The Virginian
1962
Plays Hicks
Combat!
1962
Plays Bud
Cannon
1971
Plays Thomas Ahearn
Aftershock: Earthquake in New York
1999
Plays Fred Maddux
The Hunt For The Unicorn Killer
1999
Plays Joseph P. "Joe" Kennedy
Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
2000
Plays Victor Bannister
Killer Wave
2007
Plays Colonel Mike Davis
Category 7: The End of the World
2005
Plays President Stanfield
The Trojan Horse
2008
Plays Lt. Paddy Gialella
12 O'Clock High
1964
Plays Jimmy Ford
Leverage
2008
Plays Neely Hollister
The Fugitive
1963
Plays Jerry
Bonanza
1959
Plays James Paisley
The Good Wife
2009
Plays Admiral Theodore McKee
Homeland Security
2004
Plays Zeke
Fallen
2007
Plays Vance Baker
Going Home
2022
Plays Matthew Gebhardt
The Time Tunnel
1966
Plays Detective Frank Sheen
The Hitchhiker
1983
Plays Don Bared
Danger Bay
1985
Plays Bernardino Campo
Origins of the Mafia
1976
Plays Lew Morgan
Hawaii Five-O
1969
Plays (segment "What Are Friends For?")
The Twilight Zone
1985
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Broke
Full Filmography
Broke
Cliff
2025
Film
Going Home
Vance Baker · 1 episode
2022
TV
East of the Mountains
Ben Givens
2021
Film
Catch the Bullet
Dex
2021
Film
The Phantom 52
The Phantom
2019
Film
Lucky
Fred
2017
Film
Day of Days
Walter
2017
Film
The American West
Self · 8 episodes
2016
TV
A Hologram for the King
Ron Clay
2016
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tom Skerritt still alive?
Tom Skerritt passed away on October 21, 2026 at age 93.
What are the most famous roles of Tom Skerritt?
Tom Skerritt is best known for roles in Alien, Ted, Top Gun.
How many movies has Tom Skerritt been in?
Over a 64-year career (since 1962), Tom Skerritt has appeared in 68 movies and 45 TV shows.
What was Tom Skerritt's first movie?
The career of Tom Skerritt began with War Hunt (1962).
What is Tom Skerritt's most recent movie or series?
Tom Skerritt's most recent release is Broke, which premiered on June 10, 2025.
What TV shows has Tom Skerritt appeared in?
On television, Tom Skerritt has appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, White Collar, Cheers, The Good Wife.
Tom Skerritt
1933-08-25 · Detroit, Michigan, USA
Thomas Roy Skerritt (August 25, 1933 — October 21 2026) was an American actor who has appeared in more than forty films and more than two hundred television episodes since 1962. Known for his film roles in M*A*S*H (1970), The Turning Point (1977), Up in Smoke (1978), Alien (1979), The Dead Zone (1983), Top Gun (1986), Steel Magnolias (1989), A River Runs Through It (1992), and the television series Picket Fences (1992–96), Skerritt earned several nominations and awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 for the latter.