LOADING
Actor
James Tolkan
James Tolkan’s screen credits include Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future and Strickland in Back to the Future Part II.
Born June 20, 1931† March 26, 2026 Calumet, Michigan, USA2 movies on MoviHero
Explore movies WHERE TO START
Where to start
A selection of released films from our catalog, with the credited role to help you choose.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE ROLES
About 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: …
Continue reading biographyClose full biography
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).
GALLERY
Photos
Portraits of James Tolkan.
MOVIHERO CREDITS
Movies and roles
Explore 2 movie guides, credited roles and upcoming releases.
Movies on MoviHero 2
Showing 2 of 2 credits
More film credits 57 additional titles
These credits do not currently have a MoviHero movie guide. Use the filters to separate released and upcoming work.
Showing 8 of 57 credits
- 2021ValSelf (archive)
- 2015Bone TomahawkPianist
- 2015Back in TimeSelf
- 2013Phil SpectorJudge Fidler
- 2010Tales from the FutureSelf
- 2009Looking Back to the FutureSelf
- 2006Heavens FallThomas Knight, Sr.
- 20047 Times LuckyDutch
- 1997Love in AmbushAgent Price
- 1996Robo WarriorsQuon
- 1996UnderworldDan 'Iceberg' Eagan
- 1995Sketch Artist II: Hands That SeeTonelli
- 1994Beyond BetrayalJoe Maloney
- 1993Boiling PointLevitt
- 1992Bloodfist IV: Die TryingAgent Sterling
- 1992Sketch ArtistTonelli
- 1991Problem Child 2Mr. Thron
- 1991Driving Me CrazyVince
- 1991HangfirePatch
- 1990Guns: A Day in the Death of AmericaNarrator
- 1990Dick TracyNumbers
- 1990Back to the Future Part IIIMarshal Strickland
- 1990Opportunity KnocksSal
- 1989Family BusinessJudge
- 1989Ministry of VengeanceColonel Freeman
- 1989Second SightCoolidge
- 1989True BloodDet. Joseph Hanley
- 1989The Case of the Hillside StranglersLt. Ed Henderson
- 1988Question of FaithDoctor Siegel
- 1988Split DecisionsBenny Pistone
- 1988Weekend WarDr. Alex Thompson
- 1988ViperWilliam Tansey
- 1987Made in HeavenMr. Bjornstead
- 1987Masters of the UniverseLubic
- 1986Little SpiesKennel Master
- 1986Armed and DangerousLou Brackman
- 1986Top GunStinger
- 1986Off BeatHarry
- 1985FlanaganTurner
- 1985Turk 182!Hanley
- 1984The RiverHoward Simpson
- 1984IcemanMaynard
- 1983WarGamesWigan
- 1983WingsBilly
- 1982Author! Author!Lt. Glass
- 1982Hanky PankyConferee
- 1981Prince of the CityGeorge Polito
- 1981WolfenBaldy
- 1979The Amityville HorrorCoroner
- 1976IndependenceTom Paine
- 1975Love and DeathNapoleon
- 1973SerpicoSteiger
- 1973The Werewolf of WashingtonDark Glasses
- 1973The Friends of Eddie CoyleThe Man's Contact Man
- 1971They Might Be GiantsMr. Brown
- 1969StilettoEdwards
- 1966The Three SistersActor
CHARACTER GUIDES
Characters and roles
Explore character guides connected to James Tolkan's movie credits.
Strickland
Back to the Future Part II
Open character guideCONNECTED THROUGH MOVIES
Shared credits
Discover the people who share these films.
Actor
Christopher Lloyd
2 shared films on MoviHeroActor
J.J. Cohen
2 shared films on MoviHeroActor
Lea Thompson
2 shared films on MoviHeroActor