James Tolkan, the character actor who expressed a disdain for slackers in theBack to the Future trilogy and portrayed Tom Cruises no-nonsense commanding officer inTop Gun, has died. He was 94.

Tolkan died Thursday in Saranac Lake, New York, Michael Klastorin, a unit publicist on the second and third Back to the Future films, announced.

Tolkan also played Napoleon and his look-alike in Woody AllensLove and Death (1975) and was the crooked accountant known as Numbers who works for Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) in Warren Beattys Dick Tracy (1990). He appeared in three movies directed by Sidney Lumet: as a cop in the Pacino-starringSerpico(1973), as a determined D.A. inPrince of the City(1981) and as a judge inFamily Business(1989).

On Broadway, Tolkan portrayed salesman Dave Moss in the original 1984-85 production of David MametsGlengarry Glen Ross. (Ed Harris played the character in the 1992 movie adaptation.)

Tolkan, whose specialty was playing intense, intimidating types, was steely as Hill Valley High School principal Mr. Strickland inBack to the Future(1985) and its 1989 sequel, then returned as Stricklands grandfather inBack to the Future Part III(1990). Pretty much wherever he went, fans asked him to berate them as slackers just for fun.

InTop Gun(1986), he was imposing yet again as Tom Stinger Jardian when he lights into Cruises Pete Maverick Mitchell for reckless behavior.

James Tolkan addresses Tom Cruise (right) and Anthony Edwards in Top Gun.

Paramount Pictures/Photofest Tolkans big-screen rsum also includedThe Friends of Eddie Coyle(1973),The Amityville Horror (1979),Wolfen(1981),WarGames(1983),Masters of the Universe(1987),True Blood(1989) and Opportunity Knocks(1990).

Born on June 20, 1931, in Calumet, Michigan, James Stewart Tolkan attended Coe College and the University of Iowa. He came to New York and studied with Stella Adler at the Actors Studio, where Beatty was a classmate in 1956.

He made his onscreen debut in 1960 on an episode of ABCsNaked City, and in 1966 he understudied for Robert Duvall before replacing him as bad guy Harry Roat in the original Broadway production ofWait Until Dark, starring Lee Remick. (Alan Arkin was cast as Roat in the 1967 film.)

Later, Tolkan played insurance investigator Norman Keyes on five episodes of NBCsRemington Steele and several characters over 21 installments of AEsA Nero Wolfe Mystery(he directed a couple of episodes as well).

He also guest-starred onMiami Vice,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,The Wonder Years,Leverageand many other shows.

Survivors include his wife, Parmelee, who worked at the American Place Theater as a costumes and scenery painter. They met on the set of the 1971 off-Broadway playPinkvillewhen he was acting in it and she was a prop girl, and they married that year in Lake Placid.