James Tolkan obit

James Tolkan Dies: ‘Back To The Future’ VP, ‘Top Gun’s “Stinger” & Broadway Actor Was 94

 He was not on the list.

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 original Broadway cast of Glengarry Glen Ross during a 55-year film, TV and stage career, died Thursday in Saranac Lake, New York. He was 94.

The news was announced on the official Back to the Future website, which noted that Tolkan passed away peacefully but did not provide a cause

Born on June 20, 1931, in Calumet, MI, Tolkan did a short stint in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before going to acting school in New York City. He started out in local theater and eventually would appear in nine Broadway shows, notably playing salesman Dave Moss in the original cast of Glengarry Glen Ross in 1984-85.

Tolkan’s first screen credits were guest turns in such 1960s TV series as Naked City and N.Y.P.D. along with films including The Three Sisters and Stiletto. He was working regularly by the 1970s, appearing with Al Pacino in Sidney Lumet’s 1973 cop drama Serpico and then playing a dual role as Napoleon and a lookalike opposite Diane Keaton and Allen in the filmmaker’s 1975 Russian lit satire Love and Death. He was a coroner in 1979’s The Amityville Horror.

Tolkan also had roles in such 1980s films as Wolfen, Prince of the City, Author! Author! — again with Pacino — and WarGames before landing his signature mid-’80s roles.

He was cast in Robert Zemeckis’ wildly popular 1985 action comedy Back to the Future as Mr. Strickland, the Hill Valley High School vice principal with a noted spite for “slackers,” as he called George McFly (Crispin Glover) and later Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). He reprised the role for the 1989 sequel Back to the Future II and Strickland’s Wild West ancestor in Back to the Future III the following year.

Then came another role for which Tolkan would be widely recognized. He played Tom “Stinger” Jardian, Commander of the USS Enterprise Carrier Air Group, who barks at Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) early in the 1986 Tony Scott-directed blockbuster. Stinger later briefs the recently graduated Top Gun pilots on their first mission. Late in the movie, he gives Maverick his choice of duty and feigns horror with the pilot tells him he wants to be a Top Gun instructor. “God help us,” Stinger replies.

Around that time, Tolkan landed his first series-regular TV role, playing the possibly mobbed-up fiance of star Mary Tyler Moore’s neighbor in the CBS sitcom Mary. It only lasted one season in 1985-86. His next regular role was as Captain Mike Ragland in CBS cop drama The Hat Squad. He was a career cop who raised three foster children who eventually also became police officers, and Ragland was their captain. It also aired just a single season in 1992-93.

Tolkan later had two more major TV roles, playing a number of characters as part of a repertory cast in the 2001-02 A&E period drama Nero Wolfe — also directing two episodes — and as a series regular on the syndicated adventure series Cobra. In the latter, he played Dallas Cassel, boss of ex-Navy SEAL “Scandal” Jackson (Michael Dudikoff) in the ultrasecret Cobra, which aided crime victims who were wronged by the system. The series aired 22 episodes in 1993-94.

Along the way, Tolkan continued to guest on TV in such popular series as Hill Street Blues, American Playhouse, Miami Vice, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Tales from the Crypt, The Wonder Years, Early Edition and The Equalizer. He also had big-screen roles in dozens of films ranging from Prince of the City, Masters of the Universe and Iceman to Family Business, Opportunity Knocks and playing Numbers in Warren Beatty’s 1990 Dick Tracy.

Tolkan’s final screen roles came in the 2013 TV movie Phil Spector, playing the judge in the disgraced Wall of Sound producer’s murder trial, and a pianist in the 2015 Kurt Russell Western Bone Tomahawk.

Tolkan is survived by his wife of 54 years, Parmele; and three nieces. His family asked that donations in his memory be made to a local animal shelter, animal rescue organization or Humane Society chapter.

 

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. Deputy 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

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

14 episodes

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