James Handy, the long-time screen actor known for roles in major films including Top Gun: Maverick, Jumanji and Logan, has died after he was stabbed at his home in Los Angeles.
Police said the 81-year-old was fatally wounded on Wednesday morning. A 44-year-old man, Michael Geldhill — identified as the son of Handy’s girlfriend — has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that West Valley patrol officers were dispatched to the Tarzana area at around 9:30 a.m. following a call about unspecified trouble.
The 911 caller reportedly stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”
Officers arriving at the residence found Handy in the front yard, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to the chest.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police alleged that as officers were responding, Gledhill approached them nearby, identified himself as the person they were seeking, and surrendered.
He was taken into custody and booked at Van Nuys Jail on one count of murder. Bail was set at $2,000,000.
Investigators said the stabbing is believed to be “an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time.”
Handy’s agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, confirmed his identity in a brief statement: “With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy.”
She added that no further statement was expected.
Handy’s acting career began in 1977 with appearances on Ryan’s Hope. During the 1980s, he became a familiar face on television through guest roles in series such as Cagney and Lacey, Spenser: For Hire, and Matlock. Around the same period, he also appeared in films including Taps and The Verdict.
His credits continued to expand in the years that followed, spanning movies like Arachnophobia and The Rocketeer, and a wide range of well-known TV shows such as Alias, The West Wing, Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Walker, Texas Ranger, and The Young and the Restless.
His final on-screen role was as a bartender in Top Gun: Maverick, appearing alongside Tom Cruise.