James Handy, the veteran character actor known for “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jumanji,” was stabbed to death at his Los Angeles home this week. He was 81. Police have arrested his girlfriend’s son and booked him on a murder charge.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers responded around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to a home in the 19200 block of Erwin Street in Tarzana. They found Handy in the front yard, unconscious and bleeding from a stab wound to his chest. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A chilling 911 call
The details police shared are disturbing. According to the LAPD, a 911 caller said, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” When officers arrived, a man flagged them down and told them he was the person they were looking for.
Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Michael Gledhill of Tarzana. He lived at the home with his mother, who was Handy’s girlfriend. Officers arrested him on suspicion of murder and set his bail at $2 million.
Who James Handy was
Handy spent decades as one of those faces audiences knew even when they could not place the name. Born in New York, he appeared in well over a hundred films and television shows across his career.
In “Top Gun: Maverick,” the 2022 blockbuster, he played Jimmy the bartender. He was the exterminator in the 1995 hit “Jumanji” and a doctor in the 2017 film “Logan.” He also had a memorable run on NBC’s “The West Wing” and appeared in “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “CSI: New York,” “NYPD Blue,” and “Law & Order,” among many others.
His talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, confirmed his death in a short statement, saying with great sadness that the man attacked and killed in Tarzana was the actor James Handy. Fellow actor and friend Dan Lauria, who worked alongside him, remembered his steady, reliable craft and the quiet professionalism that defined his work for so many years.
What happens next
The investigation is being handled by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division. Police have not released a motive, and Gledhill has not yet entered a plea. As with any criminal case, he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For families who knew Handy only through the screen, the loss is jarring. A man who spent his life bringing small, human moments to big stories died in a violent act at home, surrounded by the ordinary details of daily life. You can read the LAPD’s account and follow updates through NBC Los Angeles. For now, friends and fans are left mourning a familiar face who gave Hollywood far more than his name ever suggested.
Frenzy valentine is a passionate blogger, developer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and author of myfreshgists.com.