Born 08/25/1933
A ruggedly handsome leading man with the omnipresent moustache, Tom Skerritt first gained audience’s attention as the irreverent Southern doctor Duke Forrest in Robert Altman's "M*A*S*H" (1970). Going on to lead an accomplished career in both television and film, Skerritt’s resume was marked with intelligent, penetrating performances. Perhaps most identified with the thoughtful gentleness he brought to his role as Shirley MacLaine's husband in "The Turning Point" (1977), Skerritt went on to score memorable film roles in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi film “Alien” (1979), the Tony Scott blockbuster “Top Gun” (1986) and Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” (1992). Switching gears to the small screen after years of big screen success, Skerritt starred as the perplexed town sheriff of the television series “Picket Fences” (CBS, 1992-96) for which he won an Emmy. In 2006, Skerritt starred in the Stephen King miniseries “Desperation” (ABC) and joined the cast of Showtime’s acclaimed dramatic series “Huff” (2004-06).
Born Thomas Alderton Skerritt on Aug. 25, 1933 to parents Roy and Helen Skerritt in Detroit, MI, Skerritt was raised in the Motor City and graduated from David Mackenzie High School in 1951. He attended Wayne State University in Detroit, as well as the University of California, Los Angeles, where he first began to pursue acting. Discovered in a UCLA stage production of “The Rainmaker,” Skerritt made his feature film debut in the 1962 film, “War Hunt,” alongside fellow newcomer, Robert Redford. That same year, Skerritt also made his television debut in the WWII series “Combat!” (ABC, 1962-67), appearing on the series in a number of roles over the next five years. Skerritt went on to work prolifically in episodic television in the early part of his acting career. He landed small roles in “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” (CBS, 1962-65), “My Three Sons” (ABC, 1960-1972), “Bonanza” (NBC, 1959-1973) and the “The Fugitive” (ABC, 1963-67), and appeared in multiple episodes of the series’ "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975), “Twelve O’Clock High” (ABC, 1964-67), "The FBI" (ABC, 1965-1974) and "The Virginian" (NBC, 1962-1971). Skerritt appeared in one of his first recurring roles on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Disney" (ABC, 1954-1990). He would appear in nine episodes of the series which aired between 1965 and 1967.
In 1970, Skerritt landed his first notable film role in Robert Altman’s Korean War comedy “M*A*S*H.” Portraying Capt. Augustus Bedford 'Duke' Forrest in the film, Skerritt’s role was reportedly pared down considerably by Altman. The film did help him garner attention, however, and Skerritt went on to appear in the films “Harold and Maude” (1971) and once again with Altman in “Thieves Like Us” (1974). In 1977, Skerritt portrayed Shirley MacLaine’s husband, Wayne, in the Academy Award-nominated film “The Turning Point.” Winning his first career accolade for his thoughtful performance in “Point,” Skerritt was named Best Supporting Actor by the National Board of Review. Next, he landed the starring role of Dallas, ill-fated captain of the ill-fated spaceship Nostromo in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi flick “Alien” (1979). After meeting his maker in the crawl space of the Nostromo, Skerritt went on to star as Dr. Thomas Ryan in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed medical drama "Ryan's Four" (ABC, 1983) before landing a role in his biggest film to date.
As Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf – one half of Maverick’s (Tom Cruise) training team in – “Top Gun” (1986), Skerritt and the rest of the cast had no idea the film would become the pop cultural phenomenon that it became. Aside from inspiring millions of little boys to become U.S. Navy fighter pilots, the film catapulted Cruise into the biggest movie star in the world and raised the profile of all involved, including not only Skerritt, but Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards (Goose) and Val Kilmer (Iceman). Skerritt’s participation in the hit film would even help land the rugged actor a Guess? Jeans ad campaign. An adept comedic actor, starting in 1988, Skerritt surprised “Viper” fans by appearing in a hilarious recurring role on the NBC sitcom, "Cheers" (NBC, 1982-1993), as multi-millionaire Evan Drake, love interest of Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley).
Taking an interest behind the camera, Skerritt took to the director’s chair for the ABC after-school special, "A Question of Sex" (1990), which addressed the topic of teaching birth control methods in high schools. As an actor, Skerritt continued to impress with supporting roles in the films “Steel Magnolias” (1989), “The Rookie” (1990), “Poison Ivy” (1992), and Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” (1992).
Returning to television, this time as a leading player, Skerritt starred in the Emmy Award-winning David E. Kelly series, “Picket Fences” (CBS, 1992-96). Portraying Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the series for four seasons, Skerritt won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993. A high point in Skerritt’s career, the series also offered him the opportunity to explore his growing interest in directing; he directed a number of episodes for the series before the show’s cancellation in 1996. Upon the show’s completion, Skerritt went on to direct the TV movie “Divided By Hate” (USA, 1997) in which he also starred as a manipulative, neo-Nazi preacher. Returning primarily to acting, Skerritt appeared alongside Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey in the Robert Zemeckis film “Contact” (1997), portrayed an over-protective father in "The Other Sister" (1999), and appeared alongside Bruce Willis in Antoine Fuqua's "Tears of the Sun" (2003).
In 2006, Skerritt joined the cast of Showtime’s acclaimed drama “Huff” (2004-2006), portraying Hank Azaria’s neglectful father, Ben Huffstodt. Though the role was originally played by Robert Forster, Skerritt was brought in during the second season to carry on the role. Skerritt also appeared as John Edward Marinville in the Stephen King miniseries “Desperation” (ABC, 2006).
