A Tragic Death of a Veteran Actor
Chilling doorbell footage captured the moment the son of actor James Handy’s girlfriend casually walked by the scene just before police arrived to find the Hollywood star stabbed to death on his front lawn. The veteran actor, known for his roles in blockbuster films such as Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick, was discovered by authorities after a terrifying 911 call prompted an urgent response.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when officers rushed to Handy’s home on Erwin Street in Tarzana, California. According to reports, the suspect, Michael Gledhill, allegedly told the Los Angeles Police Department, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” Handy, 81, was found unconscious in the front yard with a stab wound to the chest and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
His talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, confirmed the tragic news in a statement: “With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy.”
Clothes lay nearby
Gledhill, 44, the son of Handy’s girlfriend who lived with them at the house, was arrested on suspicion of murder charges and is being held on a $2 million bond. Authorities claim that Gledhill himself called 911 around 9:30 am on Wednesday. Security footage from a neighboring house, obtained by Fox 11 Los Angeles, showed the suspect walking down the sidewalk with bloody clothes nearby. He later returned to the house and flagged down responding officers, telling them he was the one they were looking for.
A motive for the attack remains unclear, but neighbors reported that Gledhill and Handy had been arguing overnight. One resident also told Fox 11 that Gledhill had been suffering from delusions prior to the attack.
The death was a chilling reminder of another tragic case involving the brutal stabbing of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner by their disturbed son, Nick, just miles away in Hollywood.
Recurring roles
Handy was born in New York City and made his first on-screen appearance in ABC’s Ryan’s Hope in 1977, the same year he appeared in the film Taps. He had nearly 150 film and television credits to his name, including a recent role in Top Gun: Maverick as the bartender, Jimmy. His other film credits include an appearance in Logan as the doctor who treated Hugh Jackman’s titular character. In the 1995 hit Jumanji, Handy played the exterminator.
He also had recurring roles on shows like NYPD Blue, where he played Captain Haverhill, Alias, where he portrayed Arthur Devlin, and Profile, where he played Lou Handleman. Handy made appearances on numerous other television shows, including The West Wing, Castle, and The X-Files.
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.
Terrific character actor
“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. Another woman, Nancy Lipner, shared how Handy had been cast as her father in a play when they were both non-union actors in New York City. “He was only two or three years older than I, but somehow he brought it off, in large part because he was a terrific character actor,” she wrote.
Fans also took to social media to remember Handy for the many roles he played over the years. One user posted: “James Handy was a great ’90s character actor – always delivered solid, memorable supporting work.” Others called him a “fine character actor” and “the ultimate ‘that guy’ actor.”
Deadly weapon
Renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were found dead with their throats slit inside their $13.5 million home in upscale Brentwood, California in December. Their youngest son, Nick, 32, was later arrested in connection with their deaths. He had been seen having a loud argument with his father at a holiday party thrown by TV’s Conan O’Brien just hours before his parents’ bodies were found.
It was their daughter, Romy, who made the grisly discovery inside the sprawling six-bedroom estate. But Nick, who has a history of mental health issues, has pleaded not guilty to six felony charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of special circumstances involving multiple murder and using a deadly weapon, a knife.
He remains behind bars prior to his next court appearance in September.
