“You’ve got a real attitude problem, McFly.” - James Tolkan as Vice Principal Gerald Strickland in Back to the Future (1985). James Tolkan, the man behind the cigar-chomping naval commander in Top Gun (1986), has died at 94. A legendary character actor, Tolkan carved out a niche of playing stern authority figures from Miami Vice to Masters of the Universe (1987). His on-screen work has left a lasting imprint on generations of filmgoers, myself included.
TV actor Ed Bernard best known as an undercover cop on NBC’s Police Woman (1974-78) has died at 86. The Philadelphia native made a number of notable TV appearances on shows like NYPD Blue and ER, getting his next big role in the CBS drama The White Shadow as a principal of an inner-city high school.
Three-time Tony nominee Mary Beth Hurt (Six Degrees of Separation) has died from her decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Her first onscreen role was opposite Diane Keaton as the sensitive sister Joey in Woody Allen’s Interiors, he would go on to have a long career going back and forth between the stage and the screen.