Actor James Tolkan has died. He was CAG in the original Top Gun
James Tolkan Dies: ‘Back To The Future’ And ‘Top Gun’ Star Was 94
By Tim Lammers Mar 27, 2026
James Tolkan, who played memorable roles in Michael J. Fox’s Back to the Future trilogy and Tom Cruise’s commander in Top Gun, has died.
Tolkan, who was 94, died Thursday in Saranac Lake, N.Y, according to a post on the official Back to the Future franchise website. Tolkan played Hill Valley High School Principal Mr. Strickland in the first Back to the Future movie, reprised the character in the first sequel and played Strickland’s grandfather in the third chapter...
Certainly one of the "that guy"s, knew his movies but never knew his name. He was 94. I know him from 40+ years ago. How can it be that we've gotten so old.
March 28, 2026, 04:03 PM
Puckpilot78
"Jesus. Didn't that guy ever have hair?"
Mongo only pawn in game of life...
March 28, 2026, 10:32 PM
LS1 GTO
quote:
I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going to Top Gun.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
"If dogs don't go to Heaven, I want to go where they go" Will Rogers
The definition of the words we used, carry a meaning of their own...
March 28, 2026, 10:45 PM
PASig
My favorite line from him was in Top Gun:
March 29, 2026, 06:42 AM
egregore
quote:
I know him from 40+ years ago.
Hard to believe Top Gun turns 40 years old this year.
"The Almighty, He put some livin' things on this earth so a man can eat." - Festus Haggen, Gunsmoke
March 29, 2026, 07:42 AM
Vgex
Slackers!!!!
March 29, 2026, 02:43 PM
patw
quote:
Originally posted by egregore:
quote:
I know him from 40+ years ago.
Hard to believe Top Gun turns 40 years old this year.
Seems like it came out in theaters yesterday.
March 30, 2026, 08:52 AM
229DAK
He was never a leading actor but what he did was absolutely great.
_________________________________________________________________________ “A man’s treatment of a dog is no indication of the man’s nature, but his treatment of a cat is. It is the crucial test. None but the humane treat a cat well.” -- Mark Twain, 1902
March 30, 2026, 10:23 AM
PASig
quote:
Originally posted by Vgex: Slackers!!!!
The alternate timeline version of him was the best:
March 31, 2026, 12:23 PM
BMR
I enjoyed his various hard-ass roles very much. I thought he had died years ago, but that must've been some other bald actor. He had a good, long run.
March 31, 2026, 08:21 PM
Rey HRH
quote:
Originally posted by egregore:
quote:
I know him from 40+ years ago.
Hard to believe Top Gun turns 40 years old this year.
Wow!
"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.