A ‘Cheers’ and ‘M*A*S*H’ Actor Has Died: Tom Skerritt Was 93

Tom Skerritt, a TV and film actor best known for his roles in Cheers and Top Gun, has passed away. He was 97 years old.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Skerritt’s family confirmed the news, stating he had died of natural causes.

“Our family is deeply saddened to share that Tom Skerritt passed away on October 21, 2026, from natural causes,” the statement reads. “He was a loving husband to Julie; father to Andy, Erin, Matt, Colin, and Emiko; grandfather to Sara, Maddison, Sunny, Louisa, and Georgia; and great-grandfather to Marigold and Ravi. We are heartbroken by his loss.”

Skerritt’s family further shared, “While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into our lives.”

The late actor’s loved ones also praised his passion for “imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world, and helping others find and share their own voices.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the love and support being shown by his friends, colleagues, and fans,” they added. “We ask for privacy as our family grieves. Information regarding a memorial will be shared at a later date.”

Born in 1933, Skerritt started his acting career in the early ’60s, after serving in the US Air Force from 1951 to 1955. He made his film debut in War Hunt (1962). He made a guest appearance on My Favorite Martian the following year.

The late actor went on to guest-star in other TV series, including The Real McCoys, Twelve O’Clock High, and Gunsmoke. He joined the cast of Bonanza in 1964 and Death Valley Days in 1965. The actor played Evan Drake on Cheers from 1987 to 1988. He was also a series regular on CBS’s Picket Fence from 1992 to 1996. That role earned him an Emmy Award.

In the ’70s, Skerritt appeared in the films M*A*S*H, Harold and Maude, Fuzz, Big Bad Bad Mama, and Alien. He earned bigger roles in the ’80s, starring as Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun. He also appeared in The Dead Zone, SpaceCamp, Poltergeist III, and Steel Magnolias.

Skerritt’s well-known ’90s films included A River Runs Through It and Contact. In the 2000s and 2010s, He appeared in ABC Family’s miniseries Fallen, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Don Quixote, and voiced Clay Allison in the 2005 video game Gun.

He reunited with his Picket Fence co-star, Lauren Holly, for the film Field of Lost Shoes. His last film was 2017’s Lucky, which he starred in alongside fellow Alien star Harry Dean Stanton.

In addition to his acting career, Skerritt founded and chaired Seattle-based digital media company Heyou Media.

The actor married three times. He married his first wife, Charlotte Shanks, in 1956, and they had three children; they were married until 1972. He was then married to his second wife, Sue Oran, with whom he had a son, from 1977 to 1992.

Skerritt married his third wife in 1988, and they have one daughter.