# James Tolkan has died

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-tolkan-has-died/1028840>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** movies\
**Created:** [March 28, 2026, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-tolkan-has-died/1028840 "2026-03-28T12:46:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-tolkan-has-died/1028840/1 "2026-03-28T12:46:28Z")

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“Jesus, didn’t that guy ever have hair?”

- Marty McFly

> **[James Tolkan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tolkan)**
>
> James Stewart Tolkan (June 20, 1931 – March 26, 2026) was an American character actor. He was best known for his roles as high school vice-principal in charge of discipline Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part II (1989), and as the character's ancestor, Marshal James Strickland, in Back to the Future Part III (1990). His other memorable film roles include Serpico (1973), Love and Death (1975), Prince of the City (1981), Top Gun (1986), Masters of the Unive To...

Good actor. I enjoyed the intensity of some of his characters.

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**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-tolkan-has-died/1028840/2 "2026-03-28T13:43:01Z")

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He’s one of those “I know that guy” actors. You can’t quite remember his name but you always remembered his face when you saw it.

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**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-tolkan-has-died/1028840/3 "2026-03-28T14:48:33Z")

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Talk about your Abe Vigodas!

I’m glad he lived a long life. Top Gun and Back to the Future were a big part of my childhood.

Godspeed. We have the watch. Valhalla.

(Is that how you do it? I’m so bad at death tributes)

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**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-tolkan-has-died/1028840/4 "2026-03-28T15:34:07Z")

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> [@Odesio](#):
>
> He’s one of those “I know that guy” actors. You can’t quite remember his name but you always remembered his face when you saw it.

QFT. When I read the thread title, I thought “Who the fuck is James Tolkan?”, but when I opened the thread and saw his picture in the preview box, I immediately thought “Ah, the principal from Back To The Future”.