He seems almost ageless, but how old is Principal Strickland in every Back To The Future timeline? It's now part of the legend of the original Back To The Future that it shot for around six weeks with actor Eric Stoltz playing the lead role of Marty McFly. Director Robert Zemeckis' first choice Michael J. Fox was too busy with sitcom Family Ties to take the part, but after working with Stoltz and reviewing the footage that had been shot, he and producer Steven Spielberg both decided the actor had been miscast and the movie wasn't working.

While it must have been rough for Eric Stoltz it was clearly the best choice for the movie, which is now considered one of the best sci-fi adventures ever made. Two sequels followed with Back To The Future Part's II and III arriving in 1989 and 1990 respectively. While audience demand for another sequel is still there, Zemeckis has held firm to his belief the series should be a self-continued trilogy and has resisted calls for a Back To The Future Part IV.

Related: Back to the Future 2's Alternate Timeline: Everything That’s Different

That said, there have been Back To The Future continuations over the years in the form of video games and short films such as 2015's Doc Brown Saves The World. While he doesn't have much screentime throughout the trilogy, Principal Strickland is still a fan favorite character. Strickland is the seemingly ageless principal of Hill Valley High with a low tolerance for "slackers" such as George McFly or his son Marty. Strickland appears in both 1955 and 1985 virtually unchanged, making his age hard to pinpoint.

back to the future principal strickland slacker

According to Back To The Future: The Game from 2010, Principal Strickland was born in 1925. This would make him 30 in 1955 and 60 in 1985, and while he's not seen in the year 2015 he would be 90 - and presumably still look exactly the same. For comparison, Strickland's performer James Tolkan was in his early 50s when he shot the original movie. Tolkan also portrays the principal's ancestor Marshal Strickland in Back To The Future Part III, though no age is given for this character, meaning he could be anything from 30 to 60 too.

Marshal Strickland was originally supposed to die in the third film, having been shot in the back by "Mad Dog" Tannen, but this scene was removed from the final cut for being too dark. While barely noticeable, there is one visible difference between the 1955 and 1985 versions of Principal Strickland in Back To The Future; the former still has some brown hair while the latter is completely clean-shaven.

Next: Who Played George McFly In Back To The Future 2 (Not Crispin Glover)