The man killed in a stabbing at a home in Tarzana was identified by authorities Thursday as actor James Handy.
The 81-year-old actor known for his roles on NBC’s “The West Wing” and more recently “Top Gun: Maverick” was found unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest Wednesday morning in front of the residence. He was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
Officers responded to the west San Fernando Valley home after receiving a 911 call from someone who said, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” the LAPD said.
When officers arrived, they were flagged down by a man who told them he was the person they were looking for, police said. The man, identified as 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, resides at the home with his mother, who is Handy’s girlfriend, police said.
Gledhill was arrested on suspicion of murder and his bail was set at $2 million. A motive for the attack was not immediately known.
It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. Jail records did not show an attorney for him.
A representative for Handy 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,” Handy’s talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, said in a statement.
Born in New York, Handy appeared in over a hundred films and television shows throughout his decades-long career. In addition to the 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick,” in which Handy played the bartender Jimmy, he was known for his role as an exterminator in the 1995 film “Jumanji”
He played a doctor in the 2017 film “Logan,” about the X-Men character Wolverine, and had roles in “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “CSI: New York,” “NYPD Blue” and “Law & Order,” among many others.
“Jimmy was one of those actors that was so consistent because he, you know, he took Charlie Durning’s advice about acting. Never get caught. And that was Jimmy,” fellow actor and Handy’s friend Dan Lauria said.
Lauria, best remembered as America’s father from the TV show “The Wonder Years,” was honored Thursday night in New Haven, Connecticut.
“I got an award for a veteran of the year, and in the speech, I talked about Jimmy, that I wasn’t alone as long as I had friends like him,” Lauria told NBC LA.
Both Lauria and Handy are not only fellow actors, but also veterans.
“Jimmy had a rough time in Vietnam,” Lauria said. “And he always said if it wasn’t for acting, God knows what would have happened to him.”
Lauria said when he and other vets will gather to honor Handy when he returns home to Los Angeles.
“I can’t think of a better friend, a more supportive person for the veterans of our country,” Lauria said.
Anyone with information about the crime was asked to call 818-374-9550.
During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 310-726-7700 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.