By Will Dunham
In director Ridley Scott’s claustrophobic 1979 sci-fi horror “Alien”, Skerritt played Dallas, the captain of an ill-fated spacecraft whose crew encounters a deadly parasitic extraterrestrial creature with a surrealist look and a bad attitude. In the film’s famous and bloody “chestburster” scene, Skerritt’s character is seated next to cast mate John Hurt when a baby alien violently exits the torso of Hurt’s character.
Born on August 25, 1933, in Detroit, Skerritt served in the US Air Force before becoming an actor, making his film debut in 1962 alongside a young Redford in “War Hunt. Known for his rugged good looks and ability to shine in a variety of genres, Skerritt delivered memorable performances in leading and supporting roles in film and television. Skerritt played Southerner Duke Forrest as the doctors at the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital stitched up wounded troops. The film, whose popularity coincided with American unease over the Vietnam War, was nominated for five Academy Awards. He was a father of five children and was married three times.
Oct 22 – Versatile actor Tom Skerritt, who starred in Hollywood megahits including the sci-fi classic “Alien,” the war comedy “M*A*S*H,” and the action drama “Top Gun,” has died at the age of 93, his manager confirmed. Skerritt’s breakthrough role was a roguish US Army surgeon in director Robert Altman’s 1970 Korean War black comedy “M*A*S*H,” a film whose ensemble cast also included Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould and Sally Kellerman.
Skerritt, a Detroit native whose Hollywood career spanned from the 1960s to the 2020s, died on Wednesday of natural causes, said ABC7, citing a statement from his family.
