Hollywood is in shock over the death of James Handy, an American actor known for his appearances in successful films such as Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji. The interpreter was killed at the age of 81 in his home in Tarzana, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers intervened on Wednesday 3 June around 9:30 am after a call to the emergency number 911: Handy’s son was on the phone explaining that he had killed “the man of sin”.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found Handy unconscious in the garden of the house, with a stab wound to the chest. Rushed to hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, he was pronounced dead shortly after admission. Michael Gledhill, 44, son of the actor’s partner, was arrested for the murder. According to the police, the man personally stopped the officers who intervened at the scene, declaring that he was the person they were looking for. Gledhill lived in the same house with his mother and Handy. The man was taken to the Van Nuys jail on suspicion of murder.
Over the course of his long career, James Handy has taken part in numerous film and television productions. In 2022 he appeared in Top Gun: Maverick in the role of a bartender, while in Jumanji (1995) he played an exterminator. Other titles include Arachnophobia (1990) and The Rocketeer (1991). A familiar face on the small screen too, Handy had starred in several successful television series, including New York Police Department, Beverly Hills 90210, Law & Order, Profiler, The Young and the Restless and, most recently, 9-1-1 in 2021.