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James Tolkan
Born · June 20, 1931 (93 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Calumet, Michigan, USA
Bio
Fiery, forceful and intimidating character actor James Tolkan has carved out a nice little niche for himself in both movies and television alike as a formidable portrayer of fierce and flinty hard-boiled tough guy types. James Stewart Tolkan was born on June 20, 1931 in Calumet, Michigan. His father, Ralph M. Tolkan, was a cattle dealer. James attended the University of Iowa, Coe College and Eastern Arizona College. After serving a year-long stint in the United States Navy, Tolkan went to New York and studied acting with both Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. Short and bald, with beady, intense eyes, a wiry, compact, muscular build, a gruff, jarring, high-decibel voice, and an aggressive, confrontational, blunt-as-a-battle-ax, rough-around-the-edges demeanor, Tolkan has been often cast as rugged, cynical no-nonsense cops, mean, domineering authority figures, and various ruthless and dangerous criminals. Tolkan first began acting in movies in the late 1960s and was highly effective in two pictures for Sidney Lumet: He was a rabidly homophobic police lieutenant in the superbly gritty Serpico (1973) and a sneaky district attorney in the equally excellent Prince of the City (1981). Best known as the obnoxiously overzealous high school principal Gerard Strickland in the Back to the Future films, Tolkan's other most memorable roles include Napolean in Woody Allen's Love and Death (1975), a ramrod army officer in WarGames (1983), mayor Robert Culp's mordant, wisecracking assistant in Turk 182 (1985), the hard-nosed Stinger in Top Gun (1986), the choleric Detective Lubric in Masters of the Universe (1987), meek mob accountant Numbers in Dick Tracy (1990), and Wesley Snipes' bullish superior in Boiling Point (1993).
Val
Self (archive footage)
7.1
2021
Bone Tomahawk
Pianist
6.9
2015
Back in Time
Self
6.5
2015
Phil Spector
Judge Fidler
5.7
2013
Tales from the Future
Self
7.5
2010
Looking Back to the Future
Self
8.0
2009
Leverage
Dean Chesny · (1 episode)
7.6
2008
Heavens Fall
Thomas Knight, Sr.
7.3
2006
7 Times Lucky
Dutch
6.3
2004
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Richard Wragg · (1 episode)
7.8
2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Mr. Hackett · (1 episode)
7.8
2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
FBI Agent Richard Wragg · (2 episodes)
7.8
2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Leo Bingham · (2 episodes)
7.8
2001
Love in Ambush
Agent Price
0.0
1997
Robo Warriors
Quon
5.3
1997
Early Edition
(1 episode)
7.3
1996
The Pretender
FBI Special Agent Korkos · (2 episodes)
7.4
1996
Underworld
Dan 'Iceberg' Eagan
5.2
1996
Nowhere Man
Commander Cyrus Quinn · (1 episode)
7.5
1995
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See
Tonelli
6.0
1995
Cobra
Dallas Cassel · (22 episodes)
6.6
1993
Boiling Point
Levitt
5.0
1993
Bloodfist IV: Die Trying
Agent Sterling
5.2
1992
The Hat Squad
Mike Ragland · (11 episodes)
6.8
1992
Sketch Artist
Tonelli
5.5
1992
Problem Child 2
Mr. Thron
5.9
1991
Driving Me Crazy
Vince
3.7
1991
Hangfire
Patch
4.2
1991
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Dr. Oates · (1 episode)
7.9
1990
Back to the Future Part III
Marshal Strickland
7.5
1990
Sunset Beat
Ray Parker
7.0
1990
Dick Tracy
Numbers
6.2
1990
Opportunity Knocks
Sal
5.7
1990
Family Business
Judge
5.7
1989
Back to the Future Part II
Strickland
7.8
1989
Second Sight
Coolidge
4.4
1989
Ministry of Vengeance
Colonel Freeman
3.0
1989
Tales from the Crypt
Sgt. McClaine ("segment "The Trap") · (1 episode)
8.0
1989
True Blood
Det. Joseph Hanley
5.5
1989
The Case of the Hillside Stranglers
Lt. Ed Henderson
6.3
1989
Question of Faith
Doctor Siegel
0.0
1988
Split Decisions
Benny Pistone
5.1
1988
Weekend War
Dr. Alex Thompson
2.0
1988
The Wonder Years
Coach Silva · (1 episode)
8.3
1988
Viper
William Tansey
3.5
1988
Made in Heaven
Mr. Bjornstead
6.6
1987
Masters of the Universe
Detective Lubic
5.7
1987
Little Spies
Kennel Master
6.5
1986
Armed and Dangerous
Lou Brackman
5.6
1986
Top Gun
Stinger
7.1
1986
Off Beat
Harry
4.9
1986
Mary
Lester Mintz · (13 episodes)
5.0
1985
Flanagan
Turner
0.0
1985
The Equalizer
Ruger · (1 episode)
7.1
1985
Back to the Future
Mr. Strickland
8.3
1985
Turk 182!
Hanley
5.8
1985
The River
Howard Simpson
6.3
1984
Miami Vice
Mason Mather · (1 episode)
7.4
1984
Iceman
Maynard
6.1
1984
WarGames
Wigan
7.1
1983
Wings
Billy
0.0
1983
Remington Steele
Norman Keyes · (4 episodes)
7.1
1982
Author! Author!
Lt. Glass
5.9
1982
Hanky Panky
Conferee
5.2
1982
Prince of the City
George Polito
7.0
1981
Wolfen
Baldy
5.9
1981
Hill Street Blues
(1 episode)
7.6
1981
The Amityville Horror
Coroner
6.3
1979
Love and Death
Napoleon
7.5
1975
Serpico
Steiger
7.5
1973
The Werewolf of Washington
Dark Glasses
3.8
1973
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The Man's contact man
7.3
1973
They Might Be Giants
Mr. Brown
6.9
1971
Stiletto
Edwards
5.2
1969
The Three Sisters
0.0
1966
Naked City
Evan Humbolt, Mail Clerk · (1 episode)
5.5
1958
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Kennel Master · (1 episode)
7.6
1954