Esteemed character actor James Handy, known for his roles in blockbuster hits like “Jumanji” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” tragically lost his life after being fatally stabbed in the front yard of his home.
The 81-year-old Hollywood veteran was allegedly attacked by Michael Gledhill, the 44-year-old son of Handy’s girlfriend. Gledhill reportedly notified police himself and was subsequently taken into custody.
The harrowing sequence of events unfolded when the Los Angeles police received an alarming call around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The caller chillingly declared, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” to the authorities.
Upon reaching Handy’s residence on Erwin Street in Tarzana, officers discovered him unconscious in his yard, suffering from a stab wound to his chest.
Handy was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
His death was an eerie reminder of the brutal stabbing of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner by their disturbed son Rob just miles away in Hollywood.
Actor James Handy was found brutally murdered in his front yard on Wednesday
Officers raced to Handy’s home on Erwin Street in Tarzana, where they found the 81-year-old unconscious in the front yard and suffering from at least one stab wound to his chest
Surveillance footage from the scene caught a man casually walking past the suburban home
Gledhill was apprehended at the scene.
Surveillance footage from the scene later showed a man casually walking past the suburban home.
Authorities say the suspect later allegedly flagged down the responding officers, and told them he is the one they were looking for.
Investigators say Gledhill lived at the home with his mother, but a motive for the stabbing remains unclear.
Gledhill is now being held on a $2 million bond.
Handy was born in New York City and made his first on-screen appearance in 1977’s Taps in ABC’s Ryan’s Hope that same year.
Evidence markers were erected outside Handy’s home following his murder on Wednesday
The actor most recently appeared alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick
Handy’s other film credits include an appearance in Logan as the doctor who treated Hugh Jackman’s titular character
He most recently appeared in Top Gun: Maverick as the bartender, Jimmy.
Handy’s other film credits include an appearance in Logan as the doctor who treated Hugh Jackman’s titular character, and in the 1995 hit Jumanji, Handy played the exterminator.
The actor also had recurring roles on shows like NYPD Blue, on which he played Captain Haverhill, on Alias, on which he played Arthur Devlin, and on Profile, on which he played Lou Handleman.
Handy made appearances on numerous other television shows as well including The West Wing, Castle and The X-Files.
His career stretches back to the 1970s and includes more than 100 acting credits.
Following the news of his death, Scott Alan Smith, professor of Performing Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design, shared how he directed Handy at the Road Theater Company of the Lyons in 2018.
‘Jim was not only a truly great actor, he was also a prince of a man – kind and generous and giving to his cast and audience,’ Smith recounted on Facebook.
Handy is pictured in an episode of ABC’s hit show Castle, one of his many on-screen credits over his five-decade career
Handy appeared in the X-Files alongside David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
Handy’s death comes months after renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were dead with their throats slit inside their Los Angeles home.
Their youngest son, Nick, 32, was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder but has since pleaded not guilty.
