Tom Skerritt

Tom Skerritt was born on August 25, 1933. Skerritt made his television debut in the series Gunsmoke around 1959 and his film debut in War Hunt, produced by Terry Sanders and released the same year. Skerritt's notable film appearances include M*A*S*H (1970; his role was pared down considerably by director Robert Altman), Harold and Maude (credited as "M. Borman") (1971), Big Bad Mama, Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke (1978), Ice Castles (1978), as Captain A.J. Dallas of the commercial towing vessel 'Nostromo' in Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), as a would-be astronaut in Contact (1997) and SpaceCamp (1986), and in Tony Scott's Top Gun (1986), where he "flew with (Tom Cruise's) old man" as CDR Mike "Viper" Metcalf aka The Man.

Career
Skerrit starred in the television series Picket Fences (1992–1996) in the role of Sheriff Jimmy Brock, for which he won an Emmy. More recently, he has starred in Homeland Security and The Grid. He also portrays the deceased William Walker on Brothers & Sisters, having appeared in the pilot as well as in several flashbacks since. This is his second time playing the husband of Sally Field, the first being his role in the film Steel Magnolias. He played the role of Ezekiel on ABC Family's Fallen miniseries. He also appeared as the guide on the showcase website for Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system.