JAMES Tolkan, best known for playing strict authority figures in “Back to the Future” and “Top Gun,” has died at the age of 94.
Tolkan passed away Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Lake Placid, New York, where he resided, according to his booking agent. A brief obituary noted that he died peacefully, though no cause of death was disclosed.
Born in Calumet, Michigan, Tolkan served in the Navy during the Korean War before building a decades-long acting career. He spent 25 years in New York theater and was part of the original ensemble cast of “Glengarry Glen Ross.”
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Parmelee Welles. / NPG S