Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor whose long career included MASH*, Alien, Top Gun, and Picket Fences, is being remembered by friends, former costars, and family after his death. His family confirmed that he died of natural causes on Wednesday, Oct. 21. He was 93.
Skerritt’s career spanned decades and included memorable film and television roles. In the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, he played Drum Eatenton, the father of Julia Roberts’s character, Shelby. Roberts paid tribute to him on Instagram with a throwback photo of the two, writing, “A shining light of a gentle man. RIP 💔.”
Kathy Baker, who starred opposite Skerritt in Picket Fences from 1992 to 1996 as Dr. Jill Brock and Sheriff Jimmy Brock, also shared her grief. In a statement Baker said, “My heart is broken to hear of the passing of dear, lovely, loving, Tom, my TV husband, my partner, my darling friend.” She added that he taught her a great deal during their four years on the show and that she could not have asked for a more gracious and kind actor to work with.
Lauren Holly, who played Deputy Sheriff Maxine Stewart on Picket Fences, remembered Skerritt on Instagram alongside a photo from the series. “I adored Tom Skerritt,” she wrote, noting that Picket Fences was the first of multiple projects they worked on together. She described him as the show’s leader and said his example made those years a joy. Holly also said he cared deeply for his family at home and at work, as well as for his planet and its inhabitants, and that he had a huge impact on her life. “Rest easy my friend. I will think of you often,” she wrote.
Justin Shenkarow, who played Matthew Brock on Picket Fences, shared a clip from the show on Instagram and wrote over it, “Rest easy Tom. You were loved by so many and I will miss you tremendously. I’m incredibly grateful that I had the privilege of working with you on Picket Fences. You’re a legend.”
Skerritt’s family also reflected on the man behind the celebrated career. In a statement shared , they said that while the world knew him through his remarkable acting work, they knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into their lives. They added that he was passionate about imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world, and helping others find and share their own voices.
The family expressed gratitude for the love and support shown by his friends, colleagues, and fans, and asked for privacy while they grieve. They said information about a memorial will be shared at a later date.