James Tolkan

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James Tolkan, 2019

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)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ James Tolkan at Allmovie
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