Celebrity News March 27, 2026
James Tolkan, Mr. Strickland in 'Back to the Future,' Dies at 94
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James Tolkan, the veteran actor forever associated with his disapproving Mr. Strickland character in "Back to the Future" — he branded Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly a "slacker" — has died at 94.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed his death Thursday in Saranac Lake, New York.
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After his memorable part in "Back to the Future" (1985), he reprised the role in the sequel (1989) and played his character's descendant in "Back to the Future III" (1990).
In his 60-year career, he worked with directors Woody Allen in "Love and Death" (1975), in which he played both Napoleon; Warren Beatty, playing shifty Numbers in "Dick Tracy" (1990); and Sidney Lumet three times — "Serpico" (1973), "Prince of the City" (1981), and "Family Business" (1989).
He was also noted for playing Stinger in "Top Gun" (1986) and acting in the original production of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1984).
Tolkan was born June 20, 1931, in Calumet, Michigan. After his service in the Navy, he studied acting seriously in NYC, including at the storied Actors Studio alongside Beatty.
His first TV appearance was in 1960, on an episode of "Naked City," and his first brush with Broadway success came when he graduated from understudying Robert Duvall in "Wait Until Dark" (1966) to playing the part of baddie Harry Roat himself.
Some of his other films included "The Amityville Horror" (1979), "Wolfen" (1981), "Author! Author!" (1982), "Iceman" (1984, "The River" (1984), "Turk 182!" (1985), "Masters of the Universe" (1987), "Problem Child II" (1991), and "Bone Tomahawk" (2015).
He guested on numerous TV shows — "Hill Street Blues" (1985), "Miami Vice" (1987), "The Equalizer" (1989), "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990) — and was a regular on the attempted Mary Tyler Moore comeback "Mary" (1985-1986), recurring on "Remington Steele" from 1985-1987.
He was also a series regular on "Cobra" (1993-1994) and "Nero Wolfe" (2001-2002).
Tolkan is survived by his wife, Parmelee, to whom he had been wed since 1971.
