Tom Skerritt, Emmy-winning star of 'Alien' and 'Top Gun,' dies at 93
What's new: The actor died Wednesday of natural causes after a six-decade career that included an Emmy for 'Picket Fences.'
Tom Skerritt, the veteran U.S. actor known for roles in "Alien," "Top Gun" and "Picket Fences," has died at 93. His family and representative said he died Wednesday of natural causes. Over a career that stretched more than six decades, Skerritt played authority figures, fathers and sheriffs across film and television, winning the lead actor Emmy in 1993 for David E. Kelley's drama "Picket Fences." He also appeared in "M*A*S*H," "Steel Magnolias," "A River Runs Through It" and "Contact." Born in Detroit in 1933, Skerritt served in the U.S. Air Force before studying at UCLA. Outside acting, he supported independent film in Seattle and helped found veterans storytelling programs.