James Tolkan Dies: ‘Back To The Future’ VP, ‘Top Gun’s “Stinger” & Broadway Actor Was 94

James Tolkan, who played nan slacker-hating Mr. Strickland successful nan Back to nan Future films and a aerial group commanding serviceman “Stinger” Jardian successful Top Gun during a 55-year film, TV and shape career, died Thursday successful Saranac Lake, NY. He was 94.

The news was announced connected nan charismatic Back to nan Future website, which noted that he passed distant peacefully but did not supply a cause.

Born connected June 20, 1931, successful Calumet, Michigan, Tolkan did a short stint successful nan U.S. Navy during nan Korean War earlier going to acting schoolhouse successful New York City. He started retired successful section theatre and yet would look successful 9 Broadway shows, notably playing salesman Dave Moss successful nan original formed of Glengarry Glen Ross in 1984-85.

Tolkan’s first surface credits were impermanent turns successful specified 1960s TV bid arsenic Naked City and N.Y.P.D. along pinch films including The Three Sisters and Stiletto. He was moving regularly by nan 1970s, appearing pinch Al Pacino successful Sidney Lumet’s 1973 bull play Serpico and past playing a dual domiciled arsenic Napoleon and a lookalike successful Allen’s 1975 Russian lit satire Love and Death. He was a coroner successful 1979’s The Amityville Horror.

Tolkan besides had roles successful specified 1980s films arsenic Wolfen, Prince of nan City, Author! Author! — again pinch Pacino — and WarGames before landing his signature mid-’80s roles.

He was formed successful Robert Zemeckis’ wildly celebrated 1985 action drama Back to nan Future as Mr. Strickland, nan Hill Valley High School vice main pinch a noted spite for “Slackers,” arsenic he called George McFly (Crispin Glover) and later Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). He reprised nan domiciled for nan 1989 sequel Back to nan Future II and Strickland’s Wild West ancestor successful Back to nan Future III nan pursuing year.

Then came different domiciled for which Tolkan would beryllium wide recognized. He played Tom “Stinger” Jardian, Commander of nan USS Enterprise Carrier Air Group, who barks astatine Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) early successful nan Tony Scott-directed blockbuster. Stinger later briefs nan precocious graduated Top Gun pilots connected their first mission. Late successful nan movie, he gives Maverick his prime of work and feigns scary pinch nan aviator tells him he wants to beryllium a Top Gun instructor. “God thief us,” Stinger replies.

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