image of James Tolkan
Birthday: Jun 20, 1931
Place of Birth: Calumet, Michigan, USA

James Tolkan

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).

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
Back to the Future Mr. Strickland 1985
Back to the Future Part II Strickland 1989
Back to the Future Part III Marshal Strickland 1990
WarGames Wigan 1983
Val Self (archive footage) 2021
Top Gun Stinger 1986
Family Business Judge 1989
Boiling Point Levitt 1993
Opportunity Knocks Sal 1990
Masters of the Universe Detective Lubic 1987
Iceman Maynard 1984
Made in Heaven Mr. Bjornstead 1987
Heavens Fall Thomas Knight, Sr. 2006
Problem Child 2 Mr. Thron 1991
Off Beat Harry 1986
7 Times Lucky Dutch 2004
Bloodfist IV: Die Trying Agent Sterling 1992
Little Spies Kennel Master 1986
Split Decisions Benny Pistone 1988
True Blood Det. Joseph Hanley 1989
Phil Spector Judge Fidler 2013
Looking Back to the Future Self 2009
The Case of the Hillside Stranglers Lt. Ed Henderson 1989
Love and Death Napoleon 1975
They Might Be Giants Mr. Brown 1971
Hangfire Patch 1991
The Amityville Horror Coroner 1979
Armed and Dangerous Lou Brackman 1986
Robo Warriors Quon 1997
Turk 182! Hanley 1985
Second Sight Coolidge 1989
Weekend War Dr. Alex Thompson 1988
Serpico Steiger 1973
Driving Me Crazy Vince 1991
Prince of the City George Polito 1981
Viper William Tansey 1988
The River Howard Simpson 1984
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See Tonelli 1995
Bone Tomahawk Pianist 2015
Underworld Dan 'Iceberg' Eagan 1996
Hanky Panky Conferee 1982
Dick Tracy Numbers 1990
Back in Time Self 2015
Ministry of Vengeance Colonel Freeman 1989
Flanagan Turner 1985
The Three Sisters 1966
Tales from the Future Self 2010
Wolfen Baldy 1981
The Friends of Eddie Coyle The Man's contact man 1973
Question of Faith Doctor Siegel 1988
Author! Author! Lt. Glass 1982
Sketch Artist Tonelli 1992
Stiletto Edwards 1969
The Werewolf of Washington Dark Glasses 1973
Sunset Beat Ray Parker 1990
Wings Billy 1983
Series Cast Year
Remington Steele Norman Keyes 1982
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Dr. Oates 1990
The Pretender FBI Special Agent Korkos 1996
Early Edition 1996
Naked City Evan Humbolt, Mail Clerk 1958
Hill Street Blues 1981
Cobra Dallas Cassel 1993
The Equalizer Ruger 1985
The Wonder Years Coach Silva 1988
Mary Lester Mintz 1985
The Hat Squad Mike Ragland 1992
Nowhere Man Commander Cyrus Quinn 1995
A Nero Wolfe Mystery Richard Wragg 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery Mr. Hackett 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery FBI Agent Richard Wragg 2001
Leverage Dean Chesny 2008
Tales from the Crypt Sgt. McClaine 1989
Miami Vice Mason Mather 1984
The Wonderful World of Disney The Kennel Master 1954
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