Veteran Hollywood actor James Handy, best known for his roles in Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick, has died after being stabbed at a residence in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California.
Gatekeepers News reports that he was 81 years old. Authorities have arrested Michael Gledhill, the 44-year-old son of Handy’s girlfriend, in connection with the incident.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officers responded to a home in the San Fernando Valley on Wednesday morning after a disturbing 911 call. Police said the caller told dispatchers, “I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin.”
When officers arrived, they found Handy unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to the chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead. Investigators said the suspect approached responding officers and admitted he was the person they were looking for.
Police identified the suspect as Gledhill, who reportedly lived at the residence with his mother, Handy’s partner. He was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of murder. Authorities said his bail has been set at $2 million, while the motive for the attack remains under investigation.
Born in New York, Handy began his acting career in the 1970s and amassed more than a hundred screen credits. He was widely known for playing an exterminator in the 1995 film Jumanji and bartender Jimmy in Top Gun: Maverick.
He also appeared in films and television series including Arachnophobia, Logan, NYPD Blue, NCIS: Los Angeles and L.A. Law.
