Tom Skerritt is best known for his Emmy-winning role as Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the CBS series Picket Fences. Born in Detroit, Michigan on August 25, 1943, he studied at Wayne State University where he majored in film. Planning to work as a director, he transferred to UCLA in the 1960's and enrolled in a local theatre group. A casting agent in the audience liked his work and offered him a role in the 1962 film War Hunt, where he appeared opposite a then unknown actor named Robert Redford.

Television roles followed in The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Hawaii 5-0 and Combat!. In 1970, he returned to the big screen as crazy Captain Augustus Bedford Forrest, M.D., in M*A*S*H. Other notable film roles include: Dallas in Alien, Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Top Gun, Bruce Gardner in Poltergeist II, Drum Eatendon in Steel Magnolias, Reverend MacLean in A River Runs Through It, David Drumlin in Contact, and Radley Tate in The Other Sister. In the early 80's he had a recurring role as Evan Drake on the hit television show Cheers. To date, he has appeared in over 100 film and television roles.

It was his role as Tom Cruise's commanding officer in Top Gun that initially attracted Paul Marciano's attention. He cast Skerritt as the very first GUESS? celebrity model in a 1991 campaign shot by Neil Kirk.

Recently, Tom Skerritt had a chance to return to his first love -directing, with the USA Network movie Divided by Hate. His future plans include writing and directing two theatrical film projects as well as continuing as the owner of The Idle Spur Restaurant and Micro-Brewery in Butte, Colorado. Managed by his daughter and son-in-law, a portion of the profits is donated to Crested Butte's Adaptive Sports Center to aid spinal trauma rehabilitation and research. He is also active in environmental issues, working as a representative for the Environmental Media Association.

Currently, Tom Skerritt resides in Seattle where he likes to spend his spare time painting.