Character actor James Tolkan, an icon of the Back to the Future series and beloved as the commanding presence in Top Gun, has died at age 94.
On the 28th (local time), according to reports including TMZ, Back to the Future co-writer Bob Gale officially announced that James Tolkan peacefully passed away at his home in Lake Placid, New York, surrounded by family.
Born in 1931, James Tolkan left a strong impression as Gerald Strickland, the strict principal of Hill Valley High School, in Robert Zemeckis's 1985 Back to the Future. His on-screen rebuke to protagonist Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox), "You lazy bum!" became a signature of the film, and he continued to appear in sequels and the animated series, serving as a living link of the franchise.
Another of his representative works is the 1986 film Top Gun. He played Stinger, the superior of Maverick (played by Tom Cruise) and Goose (played by Anthony Edwards), delivering his trademark charismatic performance. In life he recalled of Tom Cruise, "He was impressive enough from the start that you could tell he was going to be a big star," and he lavishly praised Michael J. Fox as "the most comfortable and talented actor I worked with."
James Tolkan's life was like a movie. Born in a small town in Wisconsin, he dropped out of school and drifted at 15, but after serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and being discharged, he turned to acting. He appeared in Hollywood classics that built his distinctive supporting roles, including Serpico (1973) with Al Pacino, Woody Allen's Love and Death (1975), WarGames (1983), and Dick Tracy (1990).
He remained beloved for interacting with Back to the Future fans until the end of his life. Last year he attended a fan expo and shared a warm reunion with Michael J. Fox; he was reported to gladly humor fans who asked him to call them "lazy bum" whenever they recognized him, never forgetting to provide fan service.
[Photo] film still, ©Gettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
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