James Tolkan, 1931 – 2026

Character actor James Tolkan, 94, died on March 26. Tolkan was best known for playing vice-principal Strickland in the first two Back to the Future films (as well as Marshal Strickland in the third). He served in the Navy during the Korean War, making his TV debut on Naked City in 1960. He went on to play small or supporting roles in such films as WarGames, Top Gun, Prince of the City, Armed and Dangerous, Masters of the Universe, Love and Death (as Napoleon), Dick Tracy, and Serpico. On the small screen, he was seen on Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, The Equalizer, and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, among others. On Broadway, Tolkan appeared in The Three Sisters, Wait Until Dark, Mary Stuart, 42 Second from Broadway, Golda, Wings, and Glengarry Glen Ross; he said that “I am most happy working in the theater. As a New York actor I said, ‘I am never going to Hollywood til they send for me.’ And when Robert Zemeckis called me to do Back to the Future I said, ‘Ok, this is my chance to go out there and see what’s going on.’ So, I went out and did Back to the Future and Top Gun and I stayed out there for 10 years.” He is survived by his wife (since 1971), scenic artist Parmelee Welles.