Tom Skerritt, Steel Magnolias And Alien Star, Dead At 93

Emmy-winning actor Tom Skerritt, best known for movies like "Steel Magnolias" and "Alien," has died of natural causes at age 93, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "We are heartbroken by his loss," his family 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."

During his decades-long career, Skerritt more than proved he had range. Stephen King fans might know him as Sheriff Bannerman in 1983's "The Dead Zone," while classic sitcom fans would recognize him as businessman Evan Drake on the '80s hit series "Cheers" or Duke Forrest in the 1970 "M*A*S*H" movie. Those who prefer historical dramas might remember him as Rev. Maclean in 1992's "A River Runs Through It," and cop drama aficionados may have caught Skerritt as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the 1990s series "Picket Fences," for which he won an Emmy. "Everything we do informs our imagination, our frame of reference, our intelligence," Skerritt told FilmTalk in 2020, when discussing his acting influences.

Throughout his life, Skerritt also proved versatile in his other creative pursuits. "I write all the time when I'm not acting, and I paint. I have a lot of interests," he told FilmTalk. "I love acting when I'm doing it, but I don't think too much about it when I'm not doing it." Luckily for his fans, his love of diverse roles led him to appearances in two critically acclaimed and well-loved films that couldn't be more different: 1989's "Steel Magnolias" and 1979's space horror "Alien."

Tom Skerritt's turn as the sarcastic but loving father Drum Eatenton in "Steel Magnolias" was one of his most iconic roles, partly due to the antagonistic chemistry his character had with the irascible Ouiser Boudreaux, played by Shirley MacLaine. The two got along much better behind the scenes (as evidenced by the above photo showing the two at the movie's premiere). In fact, Skerritt said he was impressed with the caliber of his co-stars, including the iconic Sally Field, who played his wife M'Lynn Eatenton, and romantic comedy queen Julia Roberts, who played their daughter, Shelby Eatenton Latcherie. "To work with them and watch how they work — always better than what I was doing. I can be better. We can all be better. But that's the thing about life," he told the AV Club in 2019. "I think those ladies are just ... wow."

Years before that performance, Skerritt played Dallas in 1979's "Alien" alongside another strong female character — Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. As the captain of the space tug Nostromo, Skerritt seems to be the film's hero until (spoiler alert!) the alien takes him out and Ripley rises to the occasion. "When I read the script, one of the things that I liked most about it was that the woman becomes the hero. I loved that," he told RogerEbert.com during a 2019 interview marking the movie's 40th anniversary. Skerritt added that he cherished his time working on the movie and considers himself lucky to have the opportunity. "I'm still a blue-collar kid off the streets of Detroit, so to have the gift of working on a film like 'Alien' with Ridley Scott — just those two things were enough," he said.