Overview
- Skerritt’s family confirmed that he died of natural causes on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and made the announcement the following day.
- He is best known for key supporting roles that entered popular memory, including Captain Arthur Dallas in Alien and flight instructor Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun.
- Skerritt won the 1993 Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama for his portrayal of Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the TV series Picket Fences and received additional Emmy recognition the next year.
- Across a six-decade career he regularly played authoritative figures and worked with major directors such as Ridley Scott, Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, Blake Edwards and David Cronenberg.
- His family remembered him for generosity and for helping others find their voice, and his steady presence as a familiar supporting actor left a mark on both blockbuster films and television drama.