James Tolkan
James Stewart Tolkan (born June 20, 1931 in Calumet , Michigan ) is an American actor . He often embodies strict authority figures like the teacher Mr. Strickland in the film series Back to the Future .
Life
James S. Tolkan was born in Calumet, Michigan, the son of cattle dealer Ralph M. Tolkan. After attending the University of Iowa , he studied acting with Stella Adler in New York. He initially worked mainly as a stage actor and was seen in 1964 in the drama The Three Sisters . Tolkan appeared on television from the early 1960s and made his first film Stiletto in 1969.
He established himself in supporting roles, especially as an actor of grim and cynical characters. He often embodied strict authority figures such as army officers, superiors or criminal judges; Occasionally, however, Tolkan also mimed characters from the other side of the law, such as brutal criminals. The bald character actor starred in Sidney Lumet's thriller Serpico (1973) about police corruption and as an FBI agent in the science fiction film WarGames (1983). In 1975 Tolkan appeared in Woody Allen's satire The Last Night of Boris Grushenko as Napoleon Bonaparte .
His best-known role is that of the strict school principal Mr. Strickland , who played Tolkan in the first two parts of Back to the Future . In the final third film , Tolkan played the role of Marshal Strickland, also the strict ancestor of Mr. Strickland. He played other notable roles in Top Gun - You Fear No Death Or The Devil (1986), Masters of the Universe (1987) and Dick Tracy (1990). In addition, Tolkan was seen in numerous guest roles in popular television series. He had a television lead role in 1985 as a gangster in the short-lived sitcom Mary with Mary Tyler Moore . Tolkan took on his current last role in 2015 as a drunken pianist in the western Bone Tomahawk .
James Tolkan has been married to Parmelee Welles since 1971 and lives in New York.
Filmography (selection)
- 1960: Merciless City ( Naked City , TV series)
- 1962: Armstrong Circle Theater (TV series)
- 1966: The Three Sisters (TV movie)
- 1969: Hot Tracks ( NYPD , TV series)
- 1969: stiletto
- 1971: The Wrong Sherlock Holmes (They Might Be Giants)
- 1973: The Friends of Eddie Coyle / Der V-Mann (The Friends of Eddie Coyle)
- 1973: The Werewolf of Washington (The Werewolf of Washington)
- 1973: Serpico
- 1975: The Last Night of Boris Gruschenko (Love and Death)
- 1976: Independence (short film)
- 1979: Amityville Horror (The Amityville Horror)
- 1981: Wolfen
- 1981: Prince of the City
- 1982: Der Geisterflieger / Der Geisterflieger Hanky Panky (Hanky Panky)
- 1982: Daddy! Daddy! Five annoyances and a father (Author! Author!)
- 1983: Wings (TV short film)
- 1983: WarGames - War Games (WarGames)
- 1983: Nightmares ( Nightmares , voice)
- 1984: Return from Another World (Iceman)
- 1984: People by the River (The River)
- 1985: The rascal (Turk 182!)
- 1985: Hill Street Police Station ( Hill Street Blues , TV series)
- 1985: Back to the Future
- 1985: Walls of Glass
- 1985–1986: Mary (TV series, 13 episodes)
- 1986: Off Beat - Let the cops dance (Off Beat)
- 1986: Top Gun - You fear neither death nor the devil (Top Gun)
- 1986: Two under full steam (Armed and Dangerous)
- 1986: The Adventures of the 5 Little Spies ( Little Spies , TV movie)
- 1985–1987: Remington Steele (TV series, 5 episodes)
- 1987: Masters of the Universe
- 1987: Miami Vice (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1987: Made in Heaven
- 1988: Weekend War (TV movie)
- 1988: Codenamed Viper (Viper)
- 1988: In Doubt for Life ( Leap of Faith , Movie made for TV)
- 1988: His last fight / Last Fight / Kid Glove's last Fight (Split Decisions)
- 1989: Der Equalizer ( The Equalizer , television series)
- 1989: Die Würger von Hillside ( The Case of the Hillside Stranglers , TV movie)
- 1989: True Blood
- 1989: My match with the second view (Second Sight)
- 1989: Back to the Future Part II
- 1989: Heroes USA IV - Back in Lebanon (Ministry of Vengeance)
- 1989: Family Business (Family Business)
- 1990: Opportunity Knocks
- 1990: Sunset Beat - Die Undercover-Cops ( Sunset Beat , TV movie)
- 1990: Sunset Beat ( Sunset Beat , TV series)
- 1990: Back to the Future Part III
- 1990: Dick Tracy
- 1990: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ( The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , TV series)
- 1991: Hangfire
- 1991: Trabbi goes to Hollywood (Driving Me Crazy)
- 1991: Tales from the Crypt ( Tales from the Crypt , TV series)
- 1991: A Satan's Roast Seldom Comes Alone (Problem Child 2)
- 1992: Tequila and Bonetti (TV series)
- 1992: Colors of Crime ( Sketch Artist , TV movie)
- 1992: The Hat Squad (TV series)
- 1992: Bloodfist 4 - Deadly Dragon (Bloodfist IV: Die Trying)
- 1993: The Wonder Years ( The Wonder Years , TV series)
- 1993: Boiling Point - The bomb is ticking (Boiling Point)
- 1994: River of Stone
- 1993–1994: Cobra (TV series)
- 1994: Obsessed with Jealousy ( Beyond Betrayal , TV movie)
- 1995: Attack from the Dark / The Portrait of the Killer ( Sketch Artist II: Hands That See , TV movie)
- 1996: Nowhere Man - Without Identity! ( Nowhere Man , TV series, episode 14)
- 1996: Father's Day - A Good Day to Die (Underworld)
- 1996: Robo Adventure - Save the Earth / Robo Warriors - The Battle of the Battle Giants (Robo Warriors)
- 1996: Alone Against the Future ( Early Edition , TV series)
- 1997: Love in Ambush (TV movie)
- 1997: Pretender (TV series)
- 2001–2002: A Nero Wolfe Mystery (TV series, 21 episodes)
- 2004: Seven Times Lucky
- 2006: Heaven's Fall
- 2013: The Case of Phil Spector ( Phil Spector , TV movie)
- 2015: Bone Tomahawk
Web links
- James Tolkan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Tolkan, James |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Tolkan, James S .; Tolkan, James B .; Tolkan, Jim; Tolkin, James |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US-American actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 20, 1931 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Calumet , Michigan, United States |