Thomas Roy Skerritt is a famous American theater, film, television actor, as well as a producer and director. Winner of the Saturn and Emmy awards, twice nominated for the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards.
The actor came to the cinema in the early 1960s. The first role was played in the drama "War Hunt" directed by D. Sanders.
In the creative biography of the actor, there are about 200 roles in television and film projects. He has devoted almost 60 years to the performing arts. And now he continues to occasionally appear on the screen in new films.
Many older Russian moviegoers remember the roles of Skerritt in the films: Alien, Contact, Poltergeist 3, Where the River Flows, Poison Ivy, Wild Orchid 2: Two Shades of Sadness, Chicago Blues.
The actor is the founder and director of Seattle-based digital media company Heyou Media.
Biography facts
Thomas was born in the summer of 1933 in the United States. His father was in business, and his mother ran a household and raised three children, of which Tom was the youngest.
The boy received his primary education in Detroit at Mackenzie High School. After graduation, he joined the army. He spent 4 years in the United States Air Force and served at the Austin airfield.
After returning home, he entered Wayne State University in Detroit, and later continued his studies at the University of California in Los Angeles.
Creative way
After graduating from university, Tom began to play in the theater, but did not become widely known. Throughout his creative career, he periodically performed on stage, but only in those moments when he was not busy on the set.
In 1990, he appeared in the play "Love Letters" with the famous actress Lee Remik shortly before her death. Later in the same play, he played with Katie Baker at the Los Angeles Theater.
In 2004 he directed "Our Town" at the Seattle Theater.
In the 1990s, Skerritt starred in television commercials and worked with many well-known firms and brands.
Skerritt dabbled in directing and producing. He took part in the work on the projects "ABC Specially After School", "Dangerous Bay", "Palisade", "East of the Mountains".
Tom came to the cinema in 1962. He played his first role in the film "War Hunt". Then he starred in serials for a long time. On account of his roles in many famous television projects: "Days in Death Valley", "Disneyland", "Smoke from the trunk", "Bonanza", "Carriage Caravan", "The McCoy Family", "Virginian", "The Hour of Alfred Hitchcock "," In Battle "," Fugitive "," My Favorite Martian "," Voyage to the Bottom of the Ocean "," Vertical Takeoff "," FBI "," Temporary Space "," Rogue "," Lancer "," Division 5- O”,“Medical Center”,“M. E. Sh. Field Hospital”.
In 1971, Tom starred in the western "Wild Tramps". The film was about two friends working on a farm. Ross is much older than his friend Frank and therefore begins to think about what he will do when he cannot be a cowboy. One day, Frank offers Ross to rob a bank, thereby solving all the problems. The robbery goes well, but soon the chase begins for the friends.
In the same year, he got a small role in the comedy melodrama Harold and Maud. The film earned high marks from viewers and film critics, and the young actor Bad Court was nominated for the British Academy Award and Golden Globe.
In 1972, along with Burt Reynolds, Skerritt appeared on the screen in the action comedy film "The Fools". The film is set in a small police station, where two not-so-smart police officers are working, trying to find a terrorist who threatens the local authorities.
In the further career of the artist, there were roles in popular films and TV series: "Thieves like us", "Bad Mother", "Hell Rain", "Turning Point", "Smoked", "Alien", "Chirs", "Dead Zone", The Hitchhiker, The Twilight Zone, Top Gun, Parent Trap 2, Steel Magnolias, Baby in the Night, Queen's Move, Chicago Hope, Contact, West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, First Lady, Texas Rangers, Sweet Couple, Snooper, Fallen, White Collar, Third Man, Lucky.
Awards, awards and nominations
In 1977, Thomas received the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures award for Best Supporting Actor in Tipping Point.
He was nominated for the Genie Awards Theater Award for Best Foreign Actor in 1982 for his role in The Silence of the North.
The Emmy was awarded to the artist in 1993 in the Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series category for his role in the drama The Palisade. A year later, he was again nominated for this award, but lost to Michael Moriarty, who played in the "Law & Order" project.
In 1994 and 1995 he was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in the television drama The Palisade. The same film earned Skerritt 3 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Cast in a Drama Series.
In 1998, the artist was nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for his role in the Contact project.
A year later, he received the Western Heritage Awards from the National Cowboy Museum for his performance in the television film "Two for Texas."
In 2011, he won the Saturn Award for Best Guest Performer in Rob the Loot series.
Personal life
In 1957, Tom married Charlotte Shanks. They lived together for 15 years and divorced in 1972. In this union, three children were born: Andy, Erin and Matt.
Susan Ellen Aran became Skerritt's second choice. She was the manager of a small hotel in Seattle. Tom and Sue got married in 1976, and two years later they had a son, Colin. In 1990, the husband and wife divorced.
Julie Tokashiki became the third wife in 1998. They have lived together for over 20 years and have a daughter, Amy.
