James Handy, who worked on 'Top Gun: Maverick,' died at 81 after being stabbed. Police have arrested the son of his girlfriend.

Actor James Handy, known for 'Top Gun: Maverick' and 'Jumanji,' was killed in a stabbing. His girlfriend's son, Michael Gledhill, has been arrested.

BY Mahnoor | 05-06-2026

James Handy, a famous actor seen in movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, has died at age 81. He was fatally stabbed in Tarzana, Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department said officers went to Erwin Street around 9:30 a.m. on June 3 to help with an unspecified problem.

Police said the person who called 911 said, "I am the son of man, and I just killed the man of sin."

When police arrived, they found Handy unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to his chest. Paramedics took him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.

The LAPD said the suspect walked up to the officers and told them who he was. Police also noted that he lived at the house with his mother, who was Handy's girlfriend.

Police identified the suspect as 44-year-old Michael Gledhill. He was arrested and sent to Van Nuys Jail on a murder charge. His bail is $2 million. Detectives said this was an isolated event and the public is not in danger.

A spokesperson for Handy confirmed the actor died, saying, "It is very sad to confirm that the man attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was actor James Handy."

Handy worked in movies and TV for almost fifty years. He played a bartender in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick and an exterminator in the 1995 movie Jumanji. He was also in other films like Logan, Arachnophobia, The Rocketeer, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Verdict, and K-9.

Handy appeared regularly on TV shows like Alias, Melrose Place, and NYPD Blue. He started acting in 1977, beginning a long career in movies and television.

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