What Was Tom Skeritt's Role on Cheers?

Those who are fans of the beloved television sitcom Cheers may have recognized Tom Skeritt in the show and wondered what his role was.  Tom Skeritt had a recurring part on the television show for an approximately two year span of time in the late 1980s, entertaining audiences with his distinctive acting talent.

Tom Skeritt played the role of multi millionaire business man Evan Drake on the network situation comedy show Cheers from 1987 to 1989. The Evan Drake role was created to be the love interest of Kirstie Alley’s character and Skeritt played the role to much success and acclaim.

Other Roles

By the time Tom Skeritt appeared on Cheers, he was already well known as a movie and television actor.  There are a number of other films and roles that he has played over the course of his life, many of which contributed to developing his reputation as a consummate actor.

• Skeritt often plays a wise older man or fatherly figure, similar to the one he played in the movie A River Runs Through It. In A River Runs Through It, he played the father of Brad Pitt and helped his sons them learn about fly fishing and about how to grow up and become men. 
• He has also played a number of roles where he is in charge, such as being a special agent or government official.  A good example of this is when he played Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf, a United States Navy Fighter pilot and flight commander, opposite a young Tom Cruise in the film “Top Gun.” 

While Skeritt has slowed down since he has gotten older, his roles are still top notch and he still selects interesting characters to play.