Actor Tom Skerritt passed away yesterday at age 93. Skerritt had a long-acting career in both film and television. He was the type of actor that was equally adept at drama as well as comedy. He played a number of high profile films, many I won’t list here, but to say he had a very successful acting career would be an understatement.
To celebrate the late actor, here are five of my favorite acting roles of his.
Picket Fences (1992-96) Skerritt played Sheriff Jimmy Brock, in Rome, WI. Lots of unusual things happen in Rome and there are some quirky characters, which is fertile ground for all sorts of situations and the exploration of many social issues. Picket Fences was sort of a modern Gothic tale with a strong twist of wry humor. Skerritt was solid in this role, playing opposite some other amazing actors.
What the Deaf Man Heard (1997) – A Hallmark Hall of Fame production. Skerritt played bus station manager Norm Jenkins, who takes in a young boy who is mistaken as deaf. For years, Jenkins searches possible bus routes where he might have traveled with his mother, who disappeared. Jenkins serves a surrogate father for the boy and unravels the boy’s story that impacts many others. A heartwarming story. Jenkins is a solitary man, having lost his wife and child years earlier and the boy fills a void in his life.
Alien (1980) – First billed on the credits, a nice role in this science fiction film. Skerritt plays Dallas, the spaceship’s captain. In an interview some years later he said the reason for taking the film was to work with Ridley Scott. He’s not a science fiction fan nor did the script excite him as an actor, but he knew between Scott and the production team the film would be well made and reach a large audience. He’s right, it’s not an actor’s film, but certainly has its thrills.
A River Runs Through It (1992) – Skerritt plays Reverend Maclean in Robert Redford’s adaptation of Norman Maclean’s 1976 novella. Although the Reverend was a supporting character in the film, he set the first moral expectations for his family, they were homeschooled and there was a strictness and aloofness that radiated from him. He failed to influence one of his sons, who would partake in a wilder and unsettling life, and it would take that life. Skerritt’s character must be dignified but grieving stoically on the inside, feeling some failure at being more impactful in his son’s short life.
Tom Skerritt spent a lot of years playing small and guest roles on TV series. He played cops, small-time criminals, soldiers, cowboys, etc. Some of his best performances were in series like Combat, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., 12 O’ Clock High, The Fugitive and Wagon Train. Through the years, I’ve seen him in most of these roles, so my fifth selection is 1960s television guest star.
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