James Tolkan

James Tolkan
Tolkan in 2025
Born	James Stewart Tolkan (1931-06-20) June 20, 1931 (age 94) Calumet, Michigan, U.S.
Education	University of Iowa Coe College Eastern Arizona College Actors Studio
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–2015 • 2021 • 2024 [1]
Spouse	Parmelee Welles ​ (m. 1971)​

James Stewart Tolkan (born June 20, 1931) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as high school vice-principal in charge of discipline ^[2] Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part II (1989), and as the character's ancestor, Marshal James Strickland, in Back to the Future Part III (1990). Other memorable film roles include Love and Death (1975), Top Gun (1986), Masters of the Universe (1987), Dick Tracy (1990), and Problem Child 2 (1991).

Early life

Tolkan as a high school senior in 1949

Tolkan ^[3] was born in Calumet, Michigan, the son of Dale Nichols and Ralph M. Tolkan, ^[4] a cattle dealer.

Tolkan graduated from Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona, in 1949, where he played on the football team. ^[5] He then attended the University of Iowa, Coe College, the Actors Studio and Eastern Arizona College. ^[6] Tolkan served in the U.S. Navy onboard the USS Sandoval, but he had an issue with his heart; within a year, he was discharged for medical reasons. ^[7]

Career

Tolkan autographing a Back to the Future poster in 2019

Tolkan is perhaps best known for his role in the 1985 film Back to the Future as the strict Hill Valley High School vice principal Gerald Strickland; the character refers to Marty McFly, his father, and Biff Tannen derisively as "slackers". He reprised the role in the 1989 sequel Back to the Future Part II , in which unnamed gang members make a drive-by assault on him in a dystopian 1985; he also refers to these criminals as "slackers" as he shoots back. In 1990, he played the part of Strickland's grandfather Chief Marshal James Strickland in Back to the Future Part III . Tolkan would again reprise his role as Strickland, and the character's ancestors and descendants, in the 1991 animated series spin-off.

Other well-known roles include an FBI agent in WarGames and Stinger, the no-nonsense commanding officer of USS Enterprise's embarked F-14 squadron in the 1986 box-office hit Top Gun . He portrayed the role of cold and determined District Attorney Polito in Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City . He played the obsequious and evasive union treasurer Lou Brackman in 1986’s Armed and Dangerous . He appeared in the 1987 film Masters of the Universe as Detective Lubic. He had a dual role in the Woody Allen comedy Love and Death , playing both Napoleon and a look-alike. ^[8] He appeared as Big Boy Caprice's accountant "Numbers" in the 1990 Warren Beatty film Dick Tracy . He appeared in Serpico (1973) in a small but notable role as a policeman who accuses Serpico of having a homosexual encounter with another policeman in a men's room.

Tolkan has made guest appearances on many TV shows, including The Hat Squad , Naked City , Remington Steele , Miami Vice and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . ^[9] A member of the repertory cast of A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–02), he played more than a dozen varied roles in the A&E TV series and also directed two episodes ^[8] ("Die Like a Dog" and "The Next Witness").

Filmography

Film

James Tolkan film credits

Year	Title	Role
1966	The Three Sisters	Unknown
1969	Stiletto	Edwards
1971	They Might Be Giants	Mr. Brown
1973	The Friends of Eddie Coyle	The Man's Contact Man
	The Werewolf of Washington	Dark Glasses
	Serpico	Lieutenant Steiger (as James Tolkin)
1975	Love and Death	Napoleon Bonaparte
	Abduction	Off-Duty Cop
1976	Independence	Tom Paine
1979	The Amityville Horror	The Coroner
1981	Wolfen	"Baldy", Medical Examiner
	Prince of the City	District Attorney Polito
1982	Hanky Panky	Conferee
	Author! Author!	Lieutenant Glass
1983	WarGames	FBI Agent George Wigan
	Nightmares "The Bishop of Battle"	Voice of The Bishop
1984	Iceman	Maynard
	The River	Howard Simpson
1985	Turk 182!	Hanley
	Back to the Future	Principal Gerald Strickland
	Walls of Glass	Turner
1986	Off Beat	Harry
	Top Gun	Commander Tom "Stinger" Jardian
	Armed and Dangerous	Lou Brackman
	Little Spies	The Kennel Master
1987	Masters of the Universe	Detective Hugh Lubic
	Made in Heaven	Mr. Bjornstead
1988	Viper	Colonel William Tansey
	Split Decisions	Benny Pistone
1989	True Blood	Detective Joe Hanley
	Second Sight	Captain Coolidge
	Back to the Future Part II	Principal Gerald Strickland
	Ministry of Vengeance	Colonel Freeman
	Family Business	Judge In 2nd Trial
1990	Opportunity Knocks	Sal Nichols
	Back to the Future Part III	U.S. Marshal James Strickland
	Dick Tracy	"Numbers"
1991	Hangfire	"Patch"
	Trabbi Goes to Hollywood	Vince
	Problem Child 2	Mr. Thorn
1992	Bloodfist IV: Die Trying	Agent Sterling
1993	Boiling Point	Senior US Treasury Agent Jerry Levitt
1996	Underworld	Dan "Iceberg" Eagan
	Robo Warriors	Quon
1999	Wings: Thrill of Flight	Host
2004	Seven Times Lucky	"Dutch"
2006	Heavens Fall	Thomas Knight Sr.
2015	Bone Tomahawk	The Pianist
2024	Tom Wilson: Humbly Super Famous(Documentary) [10]	Himself

Television

James Tolkan television credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1960	Naked City	Evan Humboldt	Episode: "The Man Who Bit a Diamond in Half"
1962	Armstrong Circle Theatre	Stefan Malwitz	Episode: "The Man Who Refused to Die"
1969	N.Y.P.D.	McCloud	Episode: "The Night Watch"
1983	American Playhouse	Billy	Episode: "Wings" [11]
1985	Hill Street Blues	Coach Beasley	Episode: "Queen for a Day"
1985–1986	Mary	Lester Mintz	13 episodes
1985–1987	Remington Steele	Norman Keyes	5 episodes "Diced Steele" "Forged Steele" "Bonds of Steele" "The Steele That Wouldn't Die" (2 parts)
1987	Miami Vice	Mason Mather	Episode: "Amen ... Send Money"
1988	Weekend War	Dr. Alex Thompson	TV movie
	Leap of Faith	Dr. Siegel	TV movie
1989	The Equalizer	Ruger	Episode: "The Visitation"
	The Case of the Hillside Stranglers	Lt. Ed Henderson	TV movie
1990	Sunset Beat	Ray Parker	Episode: "One Down, Four Up"
	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Dr. Oates / Dr. Bloat	Episode: "Day Damn One"
1991	Tales from the Crypt	Sergeant McClaine	Episode: "The Trap"
1992	Tequila and Bonetti	Unknown	Episode: "Fetch This, Pal"
	Sketch Artist	Lieutenant Tonelli	TV movie
	The Hat Squad	Mike Ragland	Episode: "The Widow Marker"
	Back to the Future	Civil Defense Warden	Episode: "Marty McFly PFC"
1993	The Wonder Years	Coach Silva	Episode: "Hulk Arnold"
1993–1994	Cobra	Dallas Cassel	22 episodes
1994	Beyond Betrayal	Joe Maloney	TV movie
1995	Sketch Artist II: Hands That See	Lieutenant Tonelli	TV movie
1996	Nowhere Man	Commander Cyrus Quinn	Episode: "Heart of Darkness"
	Early Edition	Coach Phillips	Episode: "Hoops"
1997	Love in Ambush	Agent Price	TV movie
	The Pretender	FBI Special Agent Korkos	Episode: "Dragon House"
2001–2002	Nero Wolfe	14 roles Richard Wragg Mr. Hackett Bernard Quest W.J. Mr. Joseph Pitcairn Percy Ludlow Avery Ballou Loftus, Dog Expert Leo Bingham Adrian Dart Benedict Aiken Ben Jenson Richard Wragg Ed Graboff	14 episodes "The Doorbell Rang" "Champagne for One" "Prisoner's Base" "Disguise for Murder" "Door to Death" "Over My Dead Body" "Death of a Doxy" "Die Like a Dog" "Motherhunt" "Poison à la Carte" "Too Many Clients" "Help Wanted, Male" "The Silent Speaker" "Cop Killer"
2011	Leverage	Dean Chesny	Episode: "The Cross My Heart Job"
2013	Phil Spector	Larry Fidler	TV movie
2021	Expedition: Back to the Future	Strickland / Guard	Season 1, episode 1

Video games

• 1996: Top Gun: Fire at Will - Commander Hondo
• 1998: Top Gun: Hornet's Nest - Commander Hondo

References

1. "Tom Wilson: Humbly Super Famous". February 22, 2024 – via IMDb.
2. Craig Shaw Gardner: Back to the Future Part II (novelization) (page 105)
3. "Miss Welles Wed to Actor". The New York Times . August 29, 1971.
4. "James Tolkan Biography". FilmReference.com.
5. Panther Trails. Tucson, Arizona: Amphitheater High School. 1949. p. 28.
6. "James Tolkan". Yahoo Movies. Archived from the original on August 22, 2007.
7. Searls, Joel (March 23, 2021). "From gangs to the Navy and then to the theater, James Tolkan has seen it all". We Are the Mighty.
8. "Tolkan Donates Scripts, Memorabilia To UNA Archives". BTTF.com. April 26, 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
9. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Season 1 Episode 14". TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
10. Wilson, Tom (February 22, 2024), Tom Wilson: Humbly Super Famous (Documentary), Michael J. Fox, Coleen Goodrich, Anna May Wilson Hand, Dusty Tuba Entertainment Inc., retrieved November 12, 2024
11. "American Playhouse: Wings (TV)". The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved August 18, 2022.

External links

• James Tolkan at IMDb
• James Tolkan at the Internet Broadway Database
• James Tolkan at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)