"In 'Back to the Future,' Tolkan portrayed the bow tie-wearing vice principal Gerald Strickland, who eyeballed students for trouble in the halls of the fictitious Hill Valley High School - in particular Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox."
"Tolkan also appeared in 'Top Gun' as commanding officer Tom 'Stinger' Jardian. Near the end of the film, when Jardian asks Tom Cruise's character, Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, about his choice for future duty, Mitchell replies that he wants to be a Top Gun instructor."
"Born in Calumet, Michigan, Tolkan graduated from high school in Arizona and served in the Navy during the Korean War. He eventually made his way to New York, where he spent a quarter century acting in theater roles."
James Tolkan, famous for his roles as a naval commander in 'Top Gun' and a high school administrator in 'Back to the Future,' has passed away at 94. He died peacefully in Lake Placid, New York, with no cause of death disclosed. Tolkan's notable characters included vice principal Gerald Strickland in 'Back to the Future' and commanding officer Tom 'Stinger' Jardian in 'Top Gun.' He served in the Navy during the Korean War and had a successful theater career in New York. He is survived by his wife, Parmelee Welles.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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