# Tom Skerritt dies at 93

Pop culture · Heat 1.6 / 10 · 2 shows · 5m airtime

Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning star of Picket Fences and Tom Cruise's commander in Top Gun, died of natural causes on October 21, 2026, at 93, his family told ET. His career ran seven decades and roughly 100 films, from Alien and A River Runs Through It to last year's Western, Broke, and he was last seen publicly at a 2024 Chicago fan convention. The reporting so far is the family's confirmation and the career record; no further details on his death have surfaced.

Page: https://boilpoints.com/point/tom_skerritt_dies_at_93_3296469055

## Segments

- [Entertainment Tonight](https://boilpoints.com/u/entertainmenttonight), 2026-10-23, 7:01 to 8:41: **Reports the family's statement to ET**. First on the record for Skerritt's death: the family's statement to ET, the Emmy for Picket Fences, and a career spanning seven decades and around 100 films. New angle: Tom Skerritt died of natural causes at 93, his family told ET.
- [The Big Picture](https://boilpoints.com/u/thebigpicture), 2026-10-23, 9:58 to 13:08: **Recalls Skerritt's filmography and interview**. Recalls Skerritt's death and runs through the filmography - M.A.S.H., Alien, Top Gun, Steel Magnolias, Altman - and the 1990s interview where he called himself a character actor in a leading man's body. A fond retelling that stays inside the death notice.