Tom Skerritt, who acted in the TV show "Picket Fences" and was in movies like "MASH," "Alien," "Top Gun," "A River Runs Through It," and "Ted," passed away on Wednesday due to natural causes, Variety reported with his publicist.He was 93 years old.
The actor, known for his lean, rugged look and mustache, won an Emmy in 1993 for his role as Jimmy Brock, the sheriff of a quirky town in the CBS drama "Picket Fences." He was also nominated for that same role in 1994.
He received SAG Award nominations in 1995 and 1996 for his work in "Picket Fences" as part of the ensemble cast and was also nominated for best male actor in a drama series in 1995.
In the 2000s, he appeared as a senator in "The West Wing," as a judge in "Law & Order: SVU," and as a father in the HBO show "Huff," replacing Robert Forster.
He had recurring roles on "Brothers & Sisters" from 2006 to 2009 as the family's patriarch and briefly appeared in "The Good Wife" in 2014 and "Madam Secretary" in 2015.
In Robert Altman's "MASH" (1970), Skerritt played Duke Forrest, a surgeon who was not always obedient but very skilled.
He was third in the billing, after Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, but before Sally Kellerman and Robert Duvall.
In Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979), he played Dallas, the captain of the spaceship Nostromo.
He was first in the credits, ahead of Sigourney Weaver.He had initially refused the role due to the low budget and lack of a director.He also co-starred with Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" (1986) as Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf, the instructor at the Naval Air Station where Cruise's character is training.
In the 1992 film "A River Runs Through It," directed by Robert Redford, Skerritt played a Presbyterian minister who is the father of the characters played by Brad Pitt and Craig Sheffer.
The film gave him a chance to do more serious acting.Variety noted that he showed the loving heart behind the thin, reserved appearance of the preacher father.
Skerritt made a cameo as himself in Seth MacFarlane's comedy "Ted" (2012).
He also appeared in a supporting role as an academic in the 2013 romantic comedy "At Middleton," and as Ulysses S.Grant in "Field of Lost Shoes" (2014).
The year after "MASH," he had a small, uncredited role in "Harold and Maude" as a motorcycle cop.
Skerritt worked with Altman again in "Thieves Like Us" (1974), and also appeared in the Roger Corman film "Big Bad Mama" (1974) as a bank robber, third billed after Angie Dickinson and William Shatner.
He starred with Ernest Borgnine and Shatner in the 1975 horror film "The Devil's Rain."
In Herbert Ross's 1977 film "The Turning Point," where Anne Bancroft plays an aging dancer and Shirley MacLaine is her old friend who moved to Oklahoma, Skerritt played MacLaine's husband and won the National Board of Review's best supporting actor award.
Skerritt also had a role in the 1978 Cheech and Chong comedy "Up in Smoke," where he played Strawberry, the cousin of the Cheech character.
He portrayed a Vietnam veteran who has a flashback during a police raid, thinking the cops are Viet Cong.
Roger Ebert escribió: "El film está lleno de actuaciones excelentes ...
incluyendo a Tom Skerritt como el alcalde local que quiere reclutar a este psíquico para resolver una serie de asesinatos."
Se unió al reparto en la adaptación cinematográfica de Stephen King "The Dead Zone" (1983).
Skerritt apareció en una serie de películas de televisión, incluyendo "The China Lake Murders" (1990).
Actuó como el padre de la novia de Charlie Sheen en "The Rookie" (1990).
También interpretó a un tipo peligroso en "Tears of the Sun" (2003), junto a Bruce Willis y Monica Bellucci.
En la serie "Cheers" (1987-1992), fue un personaje secundario como el padre de la novia de Sara Gilbert.
Skerritt también apareció en la película de Robert Zemeckis "Contact" (1997) junto a Jodie Foster.
En "Redemption Road" (2010), estuvo en el rol de un hombre mayor que tiene una relación con un anciano y una vaca.
Se formó en la Universidad de Wayne State y estudió en la UCLA.
También tuvo un breve servicio en la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos.
Skerritt debutó en la pantalla grande con la película de guerra "War Hunt" (1962), interpretando a un oficial militar.
En los años 70, actuó en series como "The Fugitive", "Hawaii Five-O" y "Cannon".
También visitó la pantalla grande con "Those Calloways" (1965).
En "Alien" (1979), tuvo un papel secundario, que ayudó a elevar su carrera.
