Top Gun: Maverick Actor James Handy Passes Away At 81
Published Jun 4, 2026, 9:50 PM EDT
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Top Gun: Maverick star James Handy passes away.
Handy, who has become a beloved household name throughout his impressive career, has died from a fatal stabbing at the age of 81. The police arrived at the scene of the crime on Wednesday morning after a very disturbing 911 call where the suspect simultaneously called for help and confessed to the attack. The actor was quickly rushed to the hospital after he was found unconscious in the front yard. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.
The perpetrator is 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, who is also the son of Handy's girlfriend. He reportedly called the authorities, stating, "I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin." Gledhill turned himself over to a few LAPD officers and told them that he was the one who stabbed Handy. He was arrested shortly after he confessed in person, and his bail is set at $2,000,000. While his motives are unknown at the time of this article's publication, a statement from the police department claims that they believe this was an "isolated incident." They added that they do not believe there are any other victims involved.
Handy also played a doctor in the X-Men film, Logan, in 2017, starring Hugh Jackman as the titular character. The actor appeared in a scene where he was treating Wolverine after his fight against his clone X-24. The movie also featured a large ensemble cast consisting of Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Dafne Keen (Laura), Boyd Holbrook (Donald Pierce), Stephen Merchant (Caliban), and Richard E. Grant (Dr. Zander Rice).
Logan is directed by James Mangold, who wrote the script alongside Michael Green and Scott Frank. It is the tenth X-Men movie in the popular Marvel Comics' film franchise and the third standalone Wolverine movie after X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013). The film was inspired by Old Man Logan, a comic book storyline by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, which ran from 2008 to 2009.
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