'Top Gun' Star Tom Skerritt Dead at 93, Family Confirms: 'We Are Heartbroken'
Tom Skerritt was known for his roles in 'M*A*S*H,' 'Alien' and 'Top Gun.'
Oct. 22 2026, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
M*A*S*H and Top Gun star Tom Skerritt has passed away at 93, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Thursday, October 22, his "deeply saddened" family confirmed that the famed actor died of "natural causes" on Wednesday.
'We Are Heartbroken by His Loss'
Tom Skerritt died of 'natural causes,' according to his family.
Skerritt was remembered as a "loving husband to Julie; father to Andy, Erin, Matt, Colin, and Emiko; grandfather to Sara, Maddison, Sunny, Louisa, and Georgia; and great-grandfather to Marigold and Ravi" in a statement shared with a publication following his death.
"We are heartbroken by his loss," the statement continued. "While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into our lives."
Memorial Service Information to Be Announced
Tom Skerritt's family asked for privacy as they grieve his loss.
"We are incredibly grateful for the love and support being shown by his friends, colleagues, and fans," his family added. "We ask for privacy as our family grieves."
Skerritt's family also confirmed that information about his memorial service will be shared at a later time.
Inside Tom Skerritt's Acting Career
Tom Skerritt won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1993.
Skerritt began his professional acting career in the early 1960s. His movie debut was in War Hunt (1962), followed by small parts in shows like My Favorite Martian and The Real McCoys in 1963.
His big break came with his memorable role as Captain Duke Forest in M*A*S*H (1970). The film later sparked a television series that ran from 1972 to 1983.
He's also known for his work as Captain Dallas in Alien (1979), Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Top Gun (1986), Drum Eatenton in Steel Magnolias (1989), and Sheriff Jimmy Brock in Picket Fences in the early to mid-'90s.
He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the CBS family drama in 1993. He was nominated a second time the following year, but did not take home the win.
Tom Skerritt Was in the Military Before He Began Acting
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Tom Skerritt was a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Skerritt was also a military veteran. Before his acting career, he joined the Air Force straight out of high school. He served four years as a classifications specialist.
"There were four or five of us who were having a few beers one night – we must have been 17, just got out of high school – we didn’t know what we were going to do; we were not ready to go to college," he said in a sit-down with Film Comment in 2016.
"We just had a couple of beers and thought, ‘We want to travel, we don’t have any money, and we want to get away from here," he explained. "And we enlisted the following day, four of us, I think, enlisted at the same time."
After he got out, he attended Henry Ford College, followed by a stint at Wayne State University, and finally, he transferred to UCLA. Initially, he was English major, but he had an interest in filmmaking.
"I had done a little theater as an actor, only to overcome being shy and self-conscious, and never intended or thought I could make a living as an actor," he shared.
