James Handy, a character actor who appeared in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jumanji,” has been killed at 81 years old by his girlfriend’s son, the Los Angeles Police Department shared on Thursday.
“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,” a statement from the LAPD reads. “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 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 suspect has been identified as Michael Gledhill, the 44-year-old son of Handy’s girlfriend. He was arrested on one count of murder, with bail set at $2 million.
Handy has a number of performances dating back to the late 1970s, with his first credit being a two-episode turn as Red on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope.” He appeared in a slew of notable films and TV series, including “The Verdict,” “Unbreakable,” “Logan,” “Quantum Leap,” “The X-Files” and “Criminal Minds.”
In “Top Gun: Maverick,” Handy appeared as Jimmy, the bartender at the establishment owned by Tom Cruise’s character’s former (and renewed) flame, Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly). In 1995’s “Jumanji,” he portrayed an exterminator.
Handy also played Matt Fielding, Sr. on six episodes of “Melrose Place” from 1992 to 1995, as well as Captain Jim Haverill on seven episodes of “NYPD Blue” from 1993 to 1995. In the early 2000s, he appeared as Representative Joe Bruno in two episodes of “The West Wing,” and later portrayed Arthur Devlin on eight episodes of “Alias” from 2002 to 2006.
