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SAD! Popular Actor Dies At 94

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James Tolkan, the character actor who expressed a disdain for “slackers” in the Back to the Future trilogy and portrayed Tom Cruise’s no-nonsense commanding officer in Top Gun, has died.

He was 94.

Tolkan died Thursday in Saranac Lake, New York, a family spokesperson announced.

Tolkan also played Napoleon and his look-alike in Woody Allen’s Love and Death (1975) and was the crooked accountant known as Numbers who works for Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) in Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy (1990).

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He appeared in three movies directed by Sidney Lumet: as a cop in the Pacino-starring Serpico (1973), as a determined D.A. in Prince of the City (1981), and as a judge in Family Business (1989).

On Broadway, Tolkan portrayed salesman Dave Moss in the original 1984-85 production of David Mamet’s Glengarry 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 in Back to the Future (1985) and its 1989 sequel, then returned as Strickland’s grandfather in Back to the Future Part III (1990).

Pretty much wherever he went, fans asked him to berate them as “slackers” just for fun.

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In Top Gun (1986), he was imposing yet again as Tom “Stinger” Jardian when he lights into Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell for reckless behavior.

Tolkan’s big-screen résumé also included The 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 cycled through Chicago after his parents divorced and wound up in Tucson, Arizona, where he graduated from Amphitheater High School in 1949.

After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he attended Coe College and the University of Iowa, came to New York with $75 in his pocket, and studied with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio, where Beatty was a classmate in 1956.

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He made his onscreen debut in 1960 on an episode of ABC’s Naked City, and in 1966, he understudied for Robert Duvall before replacing him as bad guy Harry Roat in the original Broadway production of Wait 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 NBC’s Remington Steele and several characters over 21 installments of A&E’s A Nero Wolfe Mystery (he directed a couple of episodes as well).

He also guest-starred on Miami Vice, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Wonder Years, Leverage, and many other shows.

Survivors include his wife, Parmelee, who worked at the American Place Theater as a costume and scenery painter.

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They met on the set of the 1971 off-Broadway play Pinkville when he was acting in it, and she was a prop girl, and they married that year in Lake Placid.

Donations in his memory can be made to your local animal shelter, animal rescue organization or Humane Society chapter.

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Finally, Peller, Jarvis pick date for white wedding

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Famous Nigerian TikTok creators Hamzat Habeeb Adelaja, popularly known as Peller, and Amadou Elizabeth Aminata, better known as Jarvis, have announced that their white wedding will take place on August 1, 2026.

The couple made the announcement in a video shared on their verified social media pages on Saturday, confirming the date for the highly anticipated ceremony.Africans & Diaspora

The announcement has since ignited online, with fans, fellow content creators, and several celebrities flooding their comment sections with congratulatory messages and best wishes ahead of the wedding.

The upcoming church wedding comes just weeks after the couple completed their traditional marriage rites.

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Recall that in June, Peller travelled to Benin City, Edo State, where he formally met Jarvis’ family in line with customary marriage traditions.

During the visit, he fulfilled the traditional marriage requirements, including the payment of the bride price, marking an important milestone in their relationship.

The couple also shared photos and videos from their civil wedding, indicating that they had begun the legal process of formalising their union before proceeding with the white wedding.

With the announcement of the August 1 ceremony, many supporters have expressed anticipation for what is expected to be one of the biggest influencer weddings of the year, as the pair continue to receive an outpouring of love and congratulations across social media.

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“School Might Truly Be A Scam” After-All – Jim Iyke

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Veteran Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has sparked conversation after arguing that financial success is not always learned in classrooms, insisting that many of life’s greatest wealth lessons came from experienced traders and mentors rather than professors.

Speaking on Joey Akan’s podcast, Jim questioned whether many lecturers truly outperform the students they teach when it comes to succeeding in the real world.

“Can we even argue about the people that are our tutors, our professors? How many of them are really doing well in life? Haven’t you exceeded every tutor that ever sat in the classroom to tell you the dynamics of how to survive in the economic world?” he asked.

Recalling a recent encounter with one of his former professors, the actor said, “I met my professor recently, God bless his soul. We all knew who was doing better when we sat on that plane. I had to look back to greet him; he had to look forward to greet me. Somebody sat in business class, but that’s not the point.”

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According to Jim, blindly following everything he learned in school would not have brought him the success he enjoys today.

“I’ll tell you what worked, it’s what the uncles spoke to me, the traders that barely went to school but amassed untold wealth. The father that sat in front of me and told me, ‘Forget all that book. This is a time to be ruthless, this is a time to conform, this is a time to stoop to conquer.’”

He further argued that many of the world’s richest people did not build their fortunes through academic qualifications alone, adding, “Some of the wealthiest men in the world did not get it from classrooms. How many of them have PhDs? I have a PhD that works for me.”

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It Took 18 Years For Me To Have My Twins – Veteran Actor Ricardo Agbor

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Veteran Nollywood actor Ricardo Agbor has shared the emotional story of his 18-year wait to become a father, revealing that he and his wife were blessed with twins after nearly two decades of marriage.

Speaking in an interview with AfricanAList, Agbor said he remained committed to his wife throughout the difficult period despite societal expectations.

“I wanted to get married to a particular lady; I married her regardless of where she is from. She is not from my tribe. So ordinarily, we were supposed to have strife; no, it was very fair.”

Recalling their journey to parenthood, the actor said he never stopped believing and specifically asked God to bless them with twins.

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“It took 18 years for me to have the twins. And I waited. God knows, 18 years and they are 14 now, so I told God I wanted twins.”

“So while that wait was on, if it were someone else, he would cross. But at the end of the day, I have twins. I have a boy and a girl. I asked God what I wanted.”

Agbor also described losing his mother as the most heartbreaking experience of his life.

He said after weeks of treatment without improvement, doctors advised that she be flown to South Africa, but she asked to be moved to another hospital in Surulere instead.

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“My mom died right in my arms… It was my mom that told me to take her away from that place. As I was carrying her into the car, she gave up.”

The actor said the tragedy left him shattered. “I think that was the first time I cried in my life. I don’t cry. If I cry, maybe it is in a movie and it is a role. So I cried. It was painful.”

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