James Handy, the actor who appeared in projects including Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, was killed on Wednesday. He was 81.
Handy was stabbed by his girlfriend’s son, Michael Gledhill, in Tarzana, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. The stabbing is currently under investigation.
“On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, around 9:30 a.m., West Valley area patrol officers responded to a radio call of unknown trouble in the 19200 block of Erwin Street. The 911 caller stated, ‘I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.’ Upon their arrival, officers discovered 81-year-old James Handy in the front yard of the residence, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest. The victim was transported to local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, where he was pronounced deceased,” the LAPD’s statement read.
“The suspect flagged down nearby responding officers, telling them he was the one they were looking for. The suspect resides at the location with his mother, who is the victim’s girlfriend,” the LAPD statement continued. “Detectives believe this is an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time.”
Gledhill, 44, is a resident of Tarzana, and he was arrested and transported to Van Nuys Jail where he was booked for one count of murder.
Handy appeared in the 2022 Top Gun sequel, where he played a bartender; in Jumanji, he portrayed an exterminator. Elsewhere, the actor has also appeared in films including Arachnophobia (1990) and The Rocketeer (1991).
Handy has popped up in numerous television shows as well, including two seasons of NYPD Blue; two 1995 episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210; a 1997 episode of Law & Order; Profiler (1997-1998); three episodes of The Young and the Restless; and a 2021 appearance on 9-1-1.
