CMNetwork Actors

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).

  • Nacimiento: 1931-06-20, Calumet, Michigan, USA
  • Fallecimiento: 2026-03-26
  • Valoración en CMNetwork Actors: 3,3 de 5

En CMNetwork Actors

Conocido por

  • Regreso al futuro (1985) — Mr. Strickland
  • Regreso al futuro II (1989) — Strickland
  • Regreso al futuro III (1990) — Marshal Strickland
  • Top Gun: Ídolos del aire (1986) — Stinger
  • Bone Tomahawk (2015) — Pianist
  • Juegos de guerra (1983) — Wigan
  • Masters del universo (1987) — Lubic
  • Serpico (1973) — Steiger

Filmografía

  • Bone Tomahawk (2015) — Pianist
  • Phil Spector (2013) — Judge Fidler
  • Las reglas del juego (Leverage) (2008) — Dean Chesny
  • Los Chicos De Scottsboro (2006) — Thomas Knight, Sr.
  • Siete golpes de suerte (2004) — Dutch
  • A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001) — Special Agent In Charge Richard Wragg / Mr. Hackett / FBI Agent Richard Wragg / Leo Bingham / Bernard Quest / W.J. / Mr. Joseph Pitcairn / Percy Ludlow / Avery Ballou / Loftus, Dog Expert / Adrian Dart / Benedict Aiken / Ben Jenson / Ed Graboff
  • Love in Ambush (1997) — Agent Price
  • Robot Jox 3: 2086 Apocalipsis (1996) — Quon
  • Edición anterior (1996) — Coach Philips
  • The Pretender (1996) — FBI Special Agent Korkos
  • Underworld (1996) — Dan 'Iceberg' Eagan
  • Nowhere Man (1995) — Cyrus Quinn
  • Sketch Artist II: Hands That See (1995) — Tonelli
  • Beyond Betrayal (1994) — Joe Maloney
  • Cobra (1993) — Dallas Cassel
  • Boiling Point (Punto de ebullición) (1993) — Levitt
  • Bloodfist 4: Preparado para morir (1992) — Agent Sterling
  • El rostro de la muerte (1992) — Tonelli
  • The Hat Squad (1992) — Mike Ragland
  • Este chico es un demonio 2 (1991) — Mr. Thron
  • Los locos de la carretera (1991) — Vince
  • Hangfire (1991) — Patch
  • El príncipe de Bel-Air (1990) — Dr. Oates
  • Dick Tracy (1990) — Numbers
  • Regreso al futuro III (1990) — Marshal Strickland
  • Sunset Beat (1990) — Ray Parker
  • La oportunidad llama a la puerta (1990) — Sal
  • Negocios de familia (1989) — Judge
  • Regreso al futuro II (1989) — Strickland
  • Un detective con mucha vista (1989) — Coolidge
  • Ministry of Vengeance (1989) — Colonel Freeman
  • Historias de la cripta (1989) — Sgt. McClaine ("segment "The Trap")
  • Sangre en las Calles (1989) — Det. Joseph Hanley
  • The Case of the Hillside Stranglers (1989) — Lt. Ed Henderson
  • Question of Faith (1988) — Doctor Siegel
  • El chico de los guantes (1988) — Benny Pistone
  • Weekend War (1988) — Dr. Alex Thompson
  • Aquellos maravillosos años (1988) — Coach Silva
  • Viper (1988) — William Tansey
  • Hecho en el cielo (1987) — Mr. Bjornstead
  • Masters del universo (1987) — Lubic
  • Little Spies (1986) — Kennel Master
  • Armados y peligrosos (1986) — Lou Brackman
  • Top Gun: Ídolos del aire (1986) — Stinger
  • Policía por error (1986) — Harry
  • Mary (1985) — Lester Mintz
  • Flanagan (1985) — Turner
  • The Equalizer (1985) — Ruger
  • Regreso al futuro (1985) — Mr. Strickland
  • Turk 182! (1985) — Hanley
  • Cuando el río crece (1984) — Howard Simpson
  • Corrupción en Miami (1984) — Mason Mather
  • El hombre de hielo (1984) — Maynard
  • Juegos de guerra (1983) — Wigan
  • Wings (1983) — Billy
  • Remington Steele (1982) — Norman Keyes
  • ¡Autor, autor! (1982) — Lt. Glass
  • Hanky Panky: una fuga muy chiflada (1982) — Conferee
  • American Playhouse (1982) — Billy
  • El príncipe de la ciudad (1981) — George Polito
  • Lobos humanos (1981) — Baldy
  • Canción triste de Hill Street (1981)
  • Terror en Amityville (1979) — Coroner
  • Independence (1976) — Tom Paine
  • La última noche de Boris Grushenko (1975) — Napoleon
  • Serpico (1973) — Steiger
  • The Werewolf of Washington (1973) — Dark Glasses
  • El confidente (1973) — The Man's Contact Man
  • El detective y la doctora (1971) — Mr. Brown
  • Stiletto (1969) — Edwards
  • The Three Sisters (1966)
  • Naked City (1958) — Evan Humbolt, Mail Clerk