'Jumanji' and 'Top Gun: Maverick' actor James Handy stabbed to death aged 81

Published on

05/06/2026 - 10:36 GMT+2

Actor James Handy, who appeared in the hit films Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick, has died aged 81 after an alleged stabbing at his Los Angeles home.

Police have arrested the son of Handy's longtime girlfriend in connection with his death after officers found the performer suffering from a stab wound to the chest on Wednesday morning.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call in which the caller allegedly stated: "I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin."

Police said 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, who reportedly lives at the home with his mother, identified himself to officers as the person they were looking for. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of one count of murder.

Handy was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Perhaps best known for playing the exterminator in the 1995 family adventure Jumanji and, more recently, bartender Jimmy in the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, Handy built a long and varied career that saw him become a familiar character actor across film and television.

Fans of the cult sci-fi series The X-Fileswill recognise him as Detective Alan Cross in the season three "Monster of the Week" episode '2Shy', where he shares the screen with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

He also held recurring TV roles as Arthur Devlin in cult show Alias and Lou Handleman in Profiler, while making guest appearances in numerous popular crime dramas including NCIS: Los Angeles, The Closer and Cold Case.

His other film credits included The Verdict, Arachnophobia, The Rocketeer, Point of No Return, Unbreakable, and Logan.

Paying tribute, Pam Ellis-Evenas of Ellis Talent Group wrote: "I could not have asked for a more talented, humble or gracious client and friend than James Handy."

The investigation into Handy's death remains ongoing.