‘Top Gun’ Actor James Handy Killed At Los Angeles Home

on Jun 04, 2026

(Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Actor James Handy has died at 81 following a stabbing at a home in Tarzana, California.

Veteran actor James Handy, known for roles in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jumanji,” was killed at his Los Angeles-area home on Wednesday (June 3).

According to multiple reports, LAPD officers responded to the residence on Wednesday morning and found Handy unconscious in the front yard, suffering from a stab wound to the chest. Paramedics transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

What We Know About The Suspect

The suspect has been identified as Michael Gledhill, the 44-year-old son of Handy’s girlfriend. Authorities say Gledhill lived at the home with his mother.

Before officers arrived on scene, Gledhill allegedly made a 911 call, telling dispatchers, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” according to a police statement obtained by Variety. When police arrived, Gledhill flagged them down himself and told officers he was the person they were looking for.

Gledhill was arrested and booked in the Van Nuys Jail on one count of murder. His bail has been set at $2 million, PEOPLE reports. The LAPD stated that detectives believe it was “an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time.”

James Handy’s Career

Handy built a career spanning four decades as a character actor in both film and television. On the big screen, he appeared in “Arachnophobia” (1990) and “The Rocketeer” (1991), played an exterminator in the beloved 1995 adventure film “Jumanji,” and most recently appeared as a bartender in the 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.”

His television credits were equally impressive, including two seasons on “NYPD Blue” and appearances on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Law & Order,” “Profiler,” “The Young and the Restless,” “Castle,” and “9-1-1.”