Actor James Tolkan, who was known for Back to the Future and Top Gun, died at his home on Thursday, March 26, 2026. He was 94 years old.

Tolkan was often cast as tough, no-nonsense authority figures like principal Mr. Strickland in the first two Back to the Future movies and his grandfather in the third movie. He had a small but memorable role in Top Gun as Commander Tom Jardian, who chews out Maverick and Goose before sending them to Top Gun school.

He was born on June 20, 1931, in Calumet, Michigan and served in the US Navy during the Korean War. Tolkan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama from the University of Iowa, then studied acting at The Actors Studio in New York.

Tolkan’s onscreen career began in 1960 in an episode of Naked City, then he starred in Stiletto, They Might Be Giants, Serpico, and Abduction. He was in The Amityville Horror, WarGames, he did an episode of Hill Street Blues, and starred in the Mary TV show with Mary Tyler Moore.

Next, he was in Off Beat, Armed and Dangerous, Masters of the Universe, Dick Tracy, an episode of Tales from the Crypt and an episode of The Wonder Years, and he starred in the Cobra and A Nero Wolfe Mystery series. Tolkan did an episode of Leverage, was in Bone Tomahawk, and his final role was in the BTTF Project 85: The Back to the Future Fan Remake in 2020.