Top Gun

James Tolkan, the actor best known for his work in the "Back to the Future" trilogy, has died, TMZ can confirm.

Bob Gale, who, along with director Robert Zemeckis, created the franchise, tells TMZ ... Tolkan died Friday, peacefully at his Lake Placid home. His cause of death was not revealed.

The beloved hard-nosed character actor appeared in several classic '80s films, such as "Top Gun" and "War Games" ... but he was best known as Vice Principal Strickland in the 'BTTF' films, always giving Marty McFly a hard time about being a slacker.

His agent, John Alcantar, tells TMZ ... James loved the 'BTTF' fandom and got a kick out of being at conventions. Despite playing hard-asses on screen ... Tolkan was a total sweetheart of a man.

He is survived by his wife, Parmelee.

Tolkan was 94.

Val Kilmer, star of "Top Gun," "The Doors" and several other classic films, died Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to his family.

Val's daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told the New York Times -- which first reported the death -- her dad died of pneumonia. He had been diagnosed with a throat tumor back in 2014, and had to be rushed to UCLA Medical Center in 2015 to treat severe bleeding in his throat. The tumor was the result of oral cancer.

Val famously played the lead role of rock star Jim Morrison in the film about The Doors, and also starred as Bruce Wayne in "Batman Forever."

One of Val Kilmer's last Instagram posts before his shocking death is quite nostalgic -- it shows him putting on a Batman mask as he sits next to artwork of the beloved superhero.

Check out the clip ... Val -- who notoriously played Bruce Wayne in 1995's "Batman Forever" -- jokes it's "been a while" as he slides on the mask. He seems to approve of the splattered black and white rendition of the iconic mask ... striking a pose before picking it up to get a closer look.

His artist pal David Choe encourages him, telling him it looks "great."

Tom Cruise is looking damn good at 61 ... showing off his buff bod on a beach during a break from his hectic filming schedule, and possibly discussing even more flicks while there.

The movie star -- sporting navy swim shorts -- was radiating while living it up at Majorca's Formentor beach in Spain over the weekend ... showing off his chiseled physique as he got in the water and enjoyed a little R&R amid his very busy life.

Earlier that same day ... Tom was seen fully clothed ... sporting a grey top, shorts, and fedora as he hopped onboard a sailboat with filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu -- likely chatting about his role in AGI's upcoming film, for which they're teaming up.

A star in the OG "Top Gun" is suing Paramount, claiming the movie company ripped off his image for the hit sequel.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Barry Tubb, who played Wolfman in the 1986 monster hit, says the term "sequel" was never mentioned or contemplated in his original contract. Therefore, they had no right to use his mug in "Top Gun: Maverick."

The scene in contention -- two of the sequel's main characters Hangman (played by Glen Powell) and Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis) discover Rooster Bradshaw (Miles Teller) is Goose's surviving son.

Rooster points at the photograph of the Top Gun Class of '86 hanging behind him ... and when the camera zooms in, you see Wolfman sitting beside Goose, Iceman, and Maverick.

Tubb says they had no right to use that photo, never asked permission and never paid him a cent. He's asking for unspecified damages, but given that the flick has grossed nearly $1.5 billion, he wants a lot.