NEWS'Top Gun' Actor Tom Skerritt's Cause of Death Revealed After His Passing at Age 93, Family Confirms: 'We Are Heartbroken by His Loss'
'Top Gun' actor Tom Skerritt died on October 21 at age 93.
Oct. 22 2026, Updated 4:40 p.m. ET
Tom Skerritt's cause of death has been revealed by his family following the Top Gun's actor's passing at age 93.
"Our family is deeply saddened to share that Tom Skerritt passed away on October 21, 2026, from natural causes," his loved ones said in an announcement on Thursday, October 22. "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."
Tom Skerritt Died at Age 93
Tom Skerritt was best known for his roles in 'Picket Fences' and 'Top Gun.'
The statement continued, "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."
His family plans to honor him by remembering his passion for "imagination, creativity, storytelling, service, veterans, the natural world, and helping others find and share their own voices."
Tom Skerritt Started Acting Career After U.S. Air Force Stint
Tom Skerritt was born on August 25, 1933.
"We are incredibly grateful for the love and support being shown by his friends, colleagues, and fans," the family concluded. "We ask for privacy as our family grieves. Information regarding a memorial will be shared at a later date."
Skerritt kicked off his Hollywood career in the early 1960s after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force.
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Inside Tom Skerritt's Career in Hollywood
Tom Skerritt attended the University of Los Angeles after returning from a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force.
"Being a blue-collar, middle-class guy from Detroit, I had transferred out to UCLA as an English major who was interested in directing," Skerritt revealed in a 2016 interview. "I had done a little theater as an actor, only to overcome being shy and self-conscious, and never intended or thought I could make a living as an actor."
After leaving the university and finding mentorship under director Robert Altman, Skerritt got cast in his breakthrough role in the 1970 film M*A*S*H, which inspired the long-running CBS TV series.
Tom Skerritt Praised Director Robert Altman
Tom Skerritt claimed Robert Altman empowered him during his early days on set.
"I just loved the guy from the first. He made me realize early on that you could do no wrong, as long as you tried," Skerritt of his relationship with the director in Mitchell Zuckoff’s 2009 book Robert Altman: The Oral Biography. "The worst you could do was make an a-- out of yourself. And that’s the first thing you have to be willing to do as an actor, be willing to make an a-- out of yourself. Bob gave me that."
Skerritt's career continued to flourish, with roles in successful films such as Steel Magnolias, The Dead Zone, Up in Smoke and The Turning Point.
