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 …

4 hours ago · Mr. Tolkan’s career spanned decades but his breakout roles came as an authority figure in two popular films of the mid-1980s. By Aimee Ortiz James Tolkan, a character actor who brought to …

1 day ago · James Tolkan played hard-nosed characters in the "Back To the Future" franchise and on "Top Gun." The actor was 94.

3 hours ago · Actor James Tolkan, who was known for roles as authoritarian figures in the hit films “Back to the Future” and “Top Gun,” has died. He was 94.

1 day ago · James Tolkan, best known for roles in “Top Gun” and the “Back to the Future” franchise, died on Thursday in Saranac Lake, New York. He was 94.

2 days ago · James Tolkan, who played the slacker-hating Mr. Strickland in the Back to the Future films, the carrier air group commanding officer “Stinger” Jardian in Top Gun and who was part of the ...

21 hours ago · James Tolkan, who played memorable roles in Michael J. Fox’s "Back to the Future" trilogy and Tom Cruise’s commander in "Top Gun," has died.

23 hours ago · Saranac Lake, New York — Actor James Tolkan, son of Ralph Tolkan and Margery Sibola, passed away peacefully in Saranac Lake, NY on March 26, 2026.  He was 94. Born in …

8 hours ago · James Tolkan, a Navy veteran and character actor known for portraying a cigar-chomping commanding officer who chews out Tom Cruise’s character in “Top Gun,” died Thursday at age 94. …

James Tolkan, known for playing Principal Strickland in ‘Back to the Future’ and Commander Stinger in ‘Top Gun,’ has died at 94. The stage and screen actor passed away in New York.