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James Tolkan

James Tolkan

Actor · Born 1931-06-20 · Calumet, Michigan, USA

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Biography

Fiery, forceful and intimidating character actor James Tolkan carved out a nice little niche for himself in both movies and television alike as a formidable portrayer of fierce and flinty hard-boiled tough guy types. James Stewart Tolkan was born on June 20, 1931 in Calumet, Michigan. His father, Ralph M. Tolkan, was a cattle dealer. James attended the University of Iowa, Coe College and Eastern Arizona College. After serving a year-long stint in the United States Navy, Tolkan went to New York and studied acting with both Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. Short and bald, with beady, intense eyes, a wiry, compact, muscular build, a gruff, jarring, high-decibel voice, and an aggressive, confrontational, blunt-as-a-battle-ax, rough-around-the-edges demeanor, Tolkan has been often cast as rugged, cynical no-nonsense cops, mean, domineering authority figures, and various ruthless and dangerous criminals. Tolkan first began acting in movies in the late 1960s and was highly effective in two pictures for Sidney Lumet: He was a rabidly homophobic police lieutenant in the superbly gritty Serpico (1973) and a sneaky district attorney in the equally excellent Prince of the…

Movies & TV Shows

  1. Back to the Future (1985) — Mr. Strickland
  2. Back to the Future Part II (1989) — Strickland
  3. Back to the Future Part III (1990) — Marshal Strickland
  4. Top Gun (1986) — Stinger
  5. Bone Tomahawk (2015) — Pianist
  6. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) — Dr. Oates
  7. Serpico (1973) — Steiger
  8. WarGames (1983) — Wigan
  9. Masters of the Universe (1987) — Lubic
  10. The Wonder Years (1988) — Coach Silva
  11. Dick Tracy (1990) — Numbers
  12. The Amityville Horror (1979) — Coroner
  13. Tales from the Crypt (1989) — Sgt. McClaine ("segment "The Trap")
  14. Love and Death (1975) — Napoleon
  15. Problem Child 2 (1991) — Mr. Thron
  16. Miami Vice (1984) — Mason Mather
  17. Leverage (2008) — Dean Chesny
  18. Back in Time (2015) — Self
  19. Family Business (1989) — Judge
  20. Wolfen (1981) — Baldy
  21. The Pretender (1996) — FBI Special Agent Korkos
  22. Armed and Dangerous (1986) — Lou Brackman
  23. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) — The Man's Contact Man
  24. Prince of the City (1981) — George Polito
  25. Early Edition (1996) — Coach Philips
  26. Remington Steele (1982) — Norman Keyes
  27. Phil Spector (2013) — Judge Fidler
  28. Iceman (1984) — Maynard
  29. The River (1984) — Howard Simpson
  30. Boiling Point (1993) — Levitt
  31. Hill Street Blues (1981)
  32. Author! Author! (1982) — Lt. Glass
  33. Made in Heaven (1987) — Mr. Bjornstead
  34. Hanky Panky (1982) — Conferee
  35. The Equalizer (1985) — Ruger
  36. Turk 182! (1985) — Hanley
  37. They Might Be Giants (1971) — Mr. Brown
  38. Opportunity Knocks (1990) — Sal
  39. Nowhere Man (1995) — Cyrus Quinn
  40. Second Sight (1989) — Coolidge