Actor James Tolkan of 'Top Gun' and 'Back to the Future' fame dies at 94

James Tolkan, known for his roles as authoritarian figures in the Back to the Future and Top Gun films, has died. He was 94.

Tolkan died Thursday in Lake Placid, New York, where he lived, his booking agent, John Alcantar, said Saturday. A brief obituary published on the Back to the Future website said Tolkan died “peacefully,” but no cause of death was given.

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.

Born in Calumet, Michigan, Tolkan served in the Navy during the Korean War and eventually made his way to New York, where he spent a quarter century acting in theater roles. He was a member of the original ensemble cast of “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

Tolkan is survived by his wife of 54 years, Parmelee Welles.

Perennial tough guy with a career that spanned 60 years, actor James Tolkan confronts tough questions with co-star Robert Loggia in the 1986 comedy Armed and Dangerous.