Acting
James Tolkan
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
Val
Film · 2021
Bone Tomahawk
Film · 2015
Back in Time
Film · 2015
Phil Spector
Film · 2013
Tales from the Future
Film · 2010
Looking Back to the Future
Film · 2009
Leverage
Series · 2008
Heavens Fall
Film · 2006
7 Times Lucky
Film · 2004
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Series · 2001
Love in Ambush
Film · 1997
Robo Warriors
Film · 1996
Underworld
Film · 1996
The Pretender
Series · 1996
Early Edition
Series · 1996
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See
Film · 1995
Nowhere Man
Series · 1995
Beyond Betrayal
Film · 1994
Boiling Point
Film · 1993
Cobra
Series · 1993
Bloodfist IV: Die Trying
Film · 1992
Sketch Artist
Film · 1992
The Hat Squad
Series · 1992
Problem Child 2
Film · 1991
Hangfire
Film · 1991
Driving Me Crazy
Film · 1991
Back to the Future Part III
Film · 1990
Opportunity Knocks
Film · 1990
Dick Tracy
Film · 1990
Guns: A Day in the Death of America
Film · 1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Series · 1990
Sunset Beat
Series · 1990
Back to the Future Part II
Film · 1989
Family Business
Film · 1989
True Blood
Film · 1989
The Case of the Hillside Stranglers
Film · 1989
Second Sight
Film · 1989
Ministry of Vengeance
Film · 1989
Tales from the Crypt
Series · 1989
Split Decisions
Film · 1988
Weekend War
Film · 1988
Viper
Film · 1988
Question of Faith
Film · 1988
The Wonder Years
Series · 1988
Masters of the Universe
Film · 1987
Made in Heaven
Film · 1987
Top Gun
Film · 1986
Off Beat
Film · 1986
Little Spies
Film · 1986
Armed and Dangerous
Film · 1986
Back to the Future
Film · 1985
Turk 182!
Film · 1985
Flanagan
Film · 1985
The Equalizer
Series · 1985
Mary
Series · 1985
Iceman
Film · 1984
The River
Film · 1984
Miami Vice
Series · 1984
WarGames
Film · 1983
Wings
Film · 1983
Hanky Panky
Film · 1982
Author! Author!
Film · 1982
Remington Steele
Series · 1982
American Playhouse
Series · 1982
Prince of the City
Film · 1981
Wolfen
Film · 1981
Hill Street Blues
Series · 1981
The Amityville Horror
Film · 1979
Independence
Film · 1976
Love and Death
Film · 1975
Serpico
Film · 1973
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
Film · 1973
The Werewolf of Washington
Film · 1973
They Might Be Giants
Film · 1971
Stiletto
Film · 1969
The Three Sisters
Film · 1966
Naked City
Series · 1958
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954