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'Back to the Future' and 'Top Gun' actor James Tolkan dies at 94
Tolkan passed away in Saranac Lake, New York, his managers said
- PUBLISHED: Sun 29 Mar 2026, 7:59 AM
- By:
- ANI
James Tolkan, the veteran actor best known for his role as the strict high school principal Mr Strickland in the Back to the Future franchise and as Commander Tom "Stinger" Jardian in Top Gun, has died at the age of 94.
Tolkan passed away in Saranac Lake, New York, his managers confirmed to People.
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A crew member from Back to the Future described him as "one of the kindest men you would ever meet," recalling how Tolkan delighted fans by recreating his iconic nose-to-nose photos with Michael J Fox, calling them "slackers" with a playful humour.
"Any time I got a chance to see James was just delightful," the crew member added. "As mean and nasty as Mr. Strickland was, James Tolkan was the polar opposite. He was just one of the kindest men you would ever meet," he was quoted as saying by People.
Originally from Michigan, Tolkan grew up in Chicago and Tucson, Arizona, graduating from Amphitheatre High School in 1949. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War before moving to New York City, where he studied acting with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg.
The actor, who was originally from Michigan, "cycled through Chicago after his parents divorced and wound up in Tucson, Arizona, where he graduated Amphitheater High School in 1949," according to a statement shared by Tolkan's management, People reported.
Tolkan was part of the original Broadway cast of Glengarry Glen Ross and worked with director Sidney Lumet on films including Serpico (1973), Prince of the City (1981), and Family Business (1989).
His portrayal of Mr Strickland in 1985's Back to the Future earned him a special place in pop culture, a role he reprised in Back to the Future Part II and as an ancestor in Part III. He also appeared as Tom Cruise's commanding officer in Top Gun and continued acting in film and television until 2011.
Tolkan first visited the Lake Placid area in the 1970s and later built a home there in 1996 to display his art collection.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Parmelee, and three nieces in Des Moines, Iowa.
"Jim adored animals and would appreciate donations in his memory to the Tri Lakes Humane Society," per his management, and his family encourages fans to donate to their own local chapters of the Humane Society, according to People.