CineScope
James Tolkan picture

James Tolkan

Acting
Known For

94 Years Old

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).

Born

Calumet, Michigan, USA on 20th June 1931

All Credits

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