Actor Tom Skerritt dies aged 93
Actor Tom Skerritt, known for Alien and Top Gun and an Emmy-winning role in Picket Fences, has died aged 93.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Tom Skerritt, the actor known for Alien, Top Gun and Picket Fences, has died at the age of 93. He worked in television and film for more than six decades and was once described as a character actor locked in a leading man's body.
His career was slow to take off. One of his first roles was in the war comedy MASH, a relatively small part in a title that became one of the most popular in US TV history. He later moved to the big screen in the 1979 sci-fi film Alien, starring alongside Sigourney Weaver as the doomed ship's captain.
Further blockbuster success came when he played Tom Cruise's instructor in Top Gun. The role was familiar ground for Skerritt, who had spent four years in the Air Force before his acting career. On television, he was twice nominated for an Emmy for Picket Fences and won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993.
His family said in a statement: "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." Much of his work still manages to find new fans each year, and his career is unlikely to be forgotten.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Actor Tom Skerritt died at the age of 93. | |
| Tom Skerritt played Tom Cruise's instructor in Top Gun. | |
| Tom Skerritt won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 for Picket Fences. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1's report treated the death as a straightforward obituary, leading on his fame in Top Gun and Alien before tracing a six-decade career across film and TV. It gave most space to his screen roles and Emmy win, with a short family statement and no dispute or uncertainty about the death. The item also noted his Air Force background and said his work keeps finding new fans.
- “The top gun and alien actor Tom Skerritt, who graced television and film screens for 60 years, has died at the grand old age of 93.”
- “Once described as a character actor locked in a leading man's body, Tom Skerritt walked the line between television and movie star for more than six decades.”
- “In a statement, his family said, 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.”
Broadcast Timeline
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