Veteran Hollywood actor James Handy, whose face graced the silver screen for nearly five decades in films including “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jumanji,” and “Arachnophobia,” was stabbed to death Wednesday morning at his home in Tarzana, California.
His killer was his girlfriend’s own son, who called 911 to report the murder himself.
Handy, 81, was found bleeding and unconscious in the front yard of his home around 9:30 a.m. with multiple stab wounds after Los Angeles Police Department dispatchers received one of the most chilling 911 calls in recent memory.
“I am the son of man,” the caller said. “I just killed the man of sin.”
Ring camera footage obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles shows the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, walking down a nearby sidewalk moments after the stabbing.
A short time after the murder, Gledhill flagged down responding officers and told them he was the one they were looking for. He was arrested on the spot and booked on one count of murder. His bail was set at $2 million.
Des images glaçantes filmées par une sonnette ont montré le fils de la petite amie de l'acteur James Handy passant tranquillement devant les lieux quelques instants avant l'arrivée de la police, qui a découvert la star hollywoodienne poignardée à mort sur sa pelouse.
L'acteur… pic.twitter.com/OFPGP5seK8
— Claire Langoulant – Royaliste Légitimiste (@ClaireRoya14724) June 5, 2026
Gledhill is the son of Handy’s girlfriend and had been living with the couple at the Tarzana home.
Neighbors told Fox 11 that Gledhill and Handy had been arguing the night before the stabbing. One neighbor said Gledhill had appeared to be “suffering from delusions in recent times.” No official motive has been released. Handy’s girlfriend has not been publicly named.
Handy’s talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, confirmed his death.
“With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy.”
Born in New York City on March 19, 1945, Handy accumulated nearly 150 credits across a career that stretched from the mid-1970s through 2022.
His most recognizable role was Jimmy the bartender in “Top Gun: Maverick” — the billion-dollar Tom Cruise blockbuster — but Horn News readers likely know his face from dozens of other projects.
He played an exterminator in the original “Jumanji,” Milton Briggs in “Arachnophobia,” a priest in “Unbreakable,” and a doctor treating Hugh Jackman in “Logan.”
On television, he was a featured on “NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing,” “ER,” “The X-Files,” “Criminal Minds,” “Cold Case,” “Law & Order,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Castle,” “9-1-1,” and dozen more shows throughout his career.