Tom Skerritt

Thomas Roy "Tom" Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an American actor who has appeared in more than forty films and more than two hundred television episodes since 1962. He is known for his roles in MASH, Alien, Top Gun, A River Runs Through It, Up in Smoke, and the television series Picket Fences. Early life Skerritt was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Helen, a homemaker, and Roy Skerritt, a businessman. A 1951 graduate of Detroit's Mackenzie High School, Skerritt attended Wayne State University and the University of California, Los Angeles. Skerritt served a tour of duty in the United States Air Force. Career Skerritt made his film debut in War Hunt, produced by Terry Sanders and released in 1962. Skerritt's notable film appearances include MASH (1970), Harold and Maude (credited as "M. Borman", 1971), Big Bad Mama, Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke (1978), Ice Castles (1978), as Captain Dallas in Alien (1979), as a would-be astronaut in Contact (1997) and SpaceCamp (1986), and in Top Gun (1986) as Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf. In 1988, he starred with Nancy Allen and Lara Flynn Boyle in Poltergeist III. In 1992, he appeared in the critically acclaimed Robert Redford-directed film A River Runs Through It, playing a fly-fish loving minister and father of the two brother protagonists in the film. Skerritt guest-starred in the television series The Real McCoys (1963), as a letter carrier in the episode "Aunt Win Steps In". He was cast in Bonanza in 1964 and on Death Valley Days in 1965, as a young gambler, Patrick Hogan, who meets a tragic fate after winning a small fortune in the saloon in Calico in San Bernardino County, California. In another Death Valley Days episode, "A Sense of Justice" (1966), he played a young Roy Bean in San Diego, California, c. 1850, with his older brother, Joshua Bean, played by Tris Coffin. He also appeared in the ABC series, Twelve O'Clock High (1964-1967), five episodes; Gunsmoke (1965-1972), also five episodes), and as Evan Drake on Cheers. He then appeared in CBS's Picket Fences (1992–1996), in the role of Sheriff Jimmy Brock, for which he won an Emmy Award. More recently, he has starred in Homeland Security and The Grid. He portrayed the deceased William Walker on Brothers and Sisters, having appeared in the pilot as well as in several flashbacks scenes. This was his second time playing the husband of Sally Field, the first having been in Steel Magnolias, set in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He played the role of Ezekiel on ABC Family's Fallen miniseries. He also appeared as the guide on the showcase website for Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system. He lent his voice in the 2005 video game Gun, where he voices as Clay Allison. He guest-starred in seasons three and four of Leverage as Nate Ford's father. In 2009, Skerritt made a cameo appearance on American Dad!, wrapped up in an spider web, asking Stan to find him work, in the episode "Brains, Brains and Automobiles". In February 2012, Skerritt played the title role in Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of Don Quixote. In 2014, Skerritt was reunited with ex-Picket Fences co-star, Lauren Holly, to star with her in Field of Lost Shoes. Skerritt is a co-founder of TheFilmSchool, in which he is also an instructor. Personal life Since 1988, he has divided his domestic life between his Lake Washington home in suburban Seattle, Washington, and a second home on Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands. Skerritt has three sons and two daughters (one adopted) with his current wife.