‘Top Gun: Maverick' actor James Handy murdered by lover's son

James Handy, a veteran character actor whose career spanned nearly five decades and included roles in Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, has been murdered at the age of 81 in a stabbing at his home in the Tarzana neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

The LAPD confirmed that officers responded to a call on the morning of Wednesday, 3 June, after a 911 caller made a disturbing declaration and reported killing someone. 

Officers arrived to find Handy unconscious in the front yard of a residence on Erwin Street, suffering from a stab wound to the chest. 

He was transported to hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect, 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, flagged down responding officers himself and identified himself as the person they were looking for. 

Police confirmed that Gledhill lives at the property with his mother, who is Handy's girlfriend. 

He was arrested and booked at Van Nuys Jail on one count of murder, with bail set at $2 million. 

Detectives described the incident as isolated and said there is no ongoing danger to the public.

A representative for the actor confirmed the news. 

"With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy."

Handy was a familiar face to television and film audiences even if his name was less well known. 

Born in New York, he made his first screen appearance in 1977 and went on to build a career of remarkable range and longevity. 

In Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2022, he played the bartender. 

In the 1995 family classic Jumanji he was the exterminator, and in Logan he played the doctor who treated Hugh Jackman's character. 

His other film credits included Arachnophobia, The Rocketeer, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Verdict and K-9.

On television, he played Arthur Devlin across eight episodes of Alias and had recurring roles on both Melrose Place and NYPD Blue, alongside guest appearances on dozens of other series. 

He was 81 years old.