Veteran American actor James Handy, known for roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Jumanji and NYPD Blue, has died at the age of 81 after being fatally stabbed at his home in Los Angeles, according to U.S. media reports.
The incident took place Wednesday morning in Tarzana, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. Police responding to the scene found Handy unconscious in the front yard of a residence with stab wounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities arrested 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, described in reports as the son of Handy’s girlfriend, on suspicion of murder. Police said Gledhill lived at the same residence with his mother and Handy. A motive has not been publicly established.
Handy was a familiar face in American film and television, with a career spanning several decades and scores of credits. He appeared as Jimmy the bartender in Top Gun: Maverick and played the exterminator in the 1995 adventure film Jumanji.
James Handy, a veteran actor who appeared in “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jumanji,” was stabbed to death in Los Angeles by his girlfriend’s son, the LAPD said. https://t.co/oMDW3ktCaI pic.twitter.com/M1wKbQKOv3
— Variety (@Variety) June 5, 2026
His other film credits included Arachnophobia, Logan, The Rocketeer, K-9, Taps and The Verdict. On television, he appeared in series including NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Alias, Law & Order, Criminal Minds, Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Handy began appearing on screen in the late 1970s and built a long career as a character actor, often playing law enforcement officials, judges, doctors and authority figures.
The Los Angeles Police Department is continuing to investigate the case.
