James Tolkan
Known for: Acting
Fiery, forceful and intimidating character actor James Tolkan 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).
Filmography
Series
Miami Vice
Mason Mather
1984
Series
American Playhouse
Billy
1982
Series
Hill Street Blues
1981
Film
Back to the Future
Mr. Strickland
1985
Series
The Wonder Years
Coach Silva
1988
Series
Leverage
Dean Chesny
2008
Series
Tales from the Crypt
Sgt. McClaine ("segment "The Trap")
1989
Series
The Equalizer
Ruger
1985
Film
Top Gun
Stinger
1986
Series
The Pretender
FBI Special Agent Korkos
1996
Series
Early Edition
Coach Philips
1996
Series
Naked City
Evan Humbolt, Mail Clerk
1958
Series
Remington Steele
Norman Keyes
1982
Series
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Dr. Oates
1990
Film
Back to the Future Part III
Marshal Strickland
1990
Film
Back to the Future Part II
Strickland
1989
Series
Nowhere Man
Cyrus Quinn
1995
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Special Agent In Charge Richard Wragg
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Mr. Hackett
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
FBI Agent Richard Wragg
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Leo Bingham
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Bernard Quest
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
W.J.
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Mr. Joseph Pitcairn
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Percy Ludlow
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Avery Ballou
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Loftus, Dog Expert
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Adrian Dart
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Benedict Aiken
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Ben Jenson
2001
Series
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Ed Graboff
2001
Film
Masters of the Universe
Lubic
1987
Film
WarGames
Wigan
1983
Series
Mary
Lester Mintz
1985
Film
Bone Tomahawk
Pianist
2015
Film
Dick Tracy
Numbers
1990
Series
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Kennel Master
1954
Film
Serpico
Steiger
1973
Film
The Amityville Horror
Coroner
1979
Series
The Hat Squad
Mike Ragland
1992
Film
Problem Child 2
Mr. Thron
1991
Film
Love and Death
Napoleon
1975
Film
Iceman
Maynard
1984
Series
Cobra
Dallas Cassel
1993
Film
Wolfen
Baldy
1981
Film
Made in Heaven
Mr. Bjornstead
1987
Film
Family Business
Judge
1989
Film
Armed and Dangerous
Lou Brackman
1986
Film
Author! Author!
Lt. Glass
1982
Film
The River
Howard Simpson
1984
Film
Prince of the City
George Polito
1981
Film
Off Beat
Harry
1986
Film
Hanky Panky
Conferee
1982
Film
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The Man's Contact Man
1973
Film
Boiling Point
Levitt
1993
Film
They Might Be Giants
Mr. Brown
1971
Film
Phil Spector
Judge Fidler
2013
Film
Underworld
Dan 'Iceberg' Eagan
1996
Film
Question of Faith
Doctor Siegel
1988
Film
Back in Time
Self
2015
Film
Robo Warriors
Quon
1996
Film
Driving Me Crazy
Vince
1991
Film
The Case of the Hillside Stranglers
Lt. Ed Henderson
1989
Film
Heavens Fall
Thomas Knight, Sr.
2006
Film
Opportunity Knocks
Sal
1990
Film
True Blood
Det. Joseph Hanley
1989
Film
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See
Tonelli
1995
Film
Sketch Artist
Tonelli
1992
Film
Second Sight
Coolidge
1989
Series
Sunset Beat
Ray Parker
1990
Film
Split Decisions
Benny Pistone
1988
Film
Looking Back to the Future
Self
2009
Film
Weekend War
Dr. Alex Thompson
1988
Film
Stiletto
Edwards
1969
Film
Bloodfist IV: Die Trying
Agent Sterling
1992
Film
Tales from the Future
Self
2010
Film
Turk 182!
Hanley
1985
Film
Wings
Billy
1983
Film
The Werewolf of Washington
Dark Glasses
1973
Film
The Three Sisters
1966
Film
7 Times Lucky
Dutch
2004
Film
Ministry of Vengeance
Colonel Freeman
1989
Film
Little Spies
Kennel Master
1986
Film
Love in Ambush
Agent Price
1997
Film
Independence
Tom Paine
1976
Film
Hangfire
Patch
1991
Film
Flanagan
Turner
1985
Film
Beyond Betrayal
Joe Maloney
1994
Film
Guns: A Day in the Death of America
Narrator
1990
Film
Viper
William Tansey
1988