James Handy
James Handy was an American character actor born in New York City with a career spanning five decades in film and television. He appeared in supporting roles across major studio productions including 'Jumanji', M. Night Shyamalan's 'Unbreakable', and had a late-career appearance in 'Top Gun: Maverick' as a bartender. Handy also played a doctor in 'Logan' and had guest roles on shows including 'The X-Files' and '9-1-1'. He died in 2026, remembered as a steady, familiar presence across decades of American film.
James Handy
30 Movies
32 Series
James Handy was an American character actor born in New York City with a career spanning five decades in film and television. He appeared in supporting roles across major studio productions including 'Jumanji', M. Night Shyamalan's 'Unbreakable', and had a late-career appearance in 'Top Gun: Maverick' as a bartender. Handy also played a doctor in 'Logan' and had guest roles on shows including 'The X-Files' and '9-1-1'. He died in 2026, remembered as a steady, familiar presence across decades of American film.
Movies
Plays Bartender (Jimmy)
Top Gun: Maverick
2022
Plays Old Doctor
Logan
2017
Plays Priest
Unbreakable
2000
Plays Milton Briggs
Arachnophobia
1990
Plays Captain Duffy
15 Minutes
2001
Plays Exterminator
Jumanji
1995
Plays Mayor Billings
Suburbicon
2017
Plays Wooly
The Rocketeer
1991
Plays Kevin Doneghy
The Verdict
1982
Plays Captain Byers
K-9
1989
Plays Neal Carlo
Guarding Tess
1994
Plays Captain Henderson
Gang Related
1997
Plays Captain Byers
K-911
2000
Plays Carson Verrill
Burglar
1987
Plays Esteves
Bird
1988
Plays Travis
Lifted
2010
Plays Lancaster
Deterrence
2000
Plays FBI Chief
The Revenge of Al Capone
1989
Plays Frank Murphy
Brighton Beach Memoirs
1986
Plays Sergeant Wright
Black & White
1999
Plays Frank
The Room Upstairs
1987
Plays Sign Painter
Every Dog Has Its Day
1998
Plays Dr. Harvard
Murder in Mind
1997
Plays Frank
Thru: The Hereafter Remains Unknown
2017
Plays John
The Donor
2001
TV Shows
Plays Arthur Devlin
Alias
2001
Plays Lou Handleman
Profiler
1996
Plays Joseph Bruno
The West Wing
1999
Plays Captain Mulligan
Angel Street
1992
Plays Tom Rose
Beverly Hills, 90210
1990
Plays Frank Brady
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
1992
Plays Dr. Lenny
Wings
1990
Plays Leroy Grovner
Rizzoli & Isles
2010
Plays Clifford Stuckey
Castle
2009
Plays Borough Commander Haverill
NYPD Blue
1993
Plays Detective Alan Cross
The X-Files
1993
Plays Ross Tyler
Quantum Leap
1989
Plays Former NIS Operative
NCIS: Los Angeles
2009
Plays Mr. Wheeler
Law & Order
1990
Plays Jeffrey Stewart
The Practice
1997
Plays Bernard Hendrix
Commander in Chief
2005
Plays John Vincent
L.A. Law
1986
Plays Dr. Falk
Without a Trace
2002
Plays Father Ed
Mulaney
2014
Plays Lanford Biddle
Touch
2012
Plays Lieutenant Pat Hogan
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Plays Mr. Rawley
The Closer
2005
Plays Mr. Bergstrom
Crossing Jordan
2001
Plays Dan Sullivan
ER
1994
Plays Father Goodwin
Third Watch
1999
Plays Felix
9-1-1
2018
Plays Joe Bannerman
The Dead Zone
2002
Plays Ronny Wilcox
L.A. Doctors
1998
Plays Uncle Bob Sheaghan
Early Edition
1996
Plays Prosecutor
Matlock
1986
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Top Gun: Maverick
Full Filmography
Top Gun: Maverick
Bartender (Jimmy)
2022
Film
Senior Entourage
Father MacGuffin
2021
Film
NCIS: Los Angeles
Former NIS Operative · 1 episode
2017–2018
TV
9-1-1
Felix · 1 episode
2018–
TV
Woman Child
Barney Winecott
2017
Film
Suburbicon
Mayor Billings
2017
Film
Thru: The Hereafter Remains Unknown
Frank
2017
Film
Logan
Old Doctor
2017
Film
Mulaney
Father Ed · 1 episode
2014–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is James Handy still alive?
James Handy passed away on June 3, 2026 at age 81.
What are the most famous roles of James Handy?
James Handy is best known for roles in Logan, Jumanji, Top Gun: Maverick.
How many movies has James Handy been in?
Over a 44-year career (since 1982), James Handy has appeared in 30 movies and 32 TV shows.
What was James Handy's first movie?
The career of James Handy began with The Verdict (1982).
What is James Handy's most recent movie or series?
James Handy's most recent release is Top Gun: Maverick, which premiered on May 21, 2022.
What TV shows has James Handy appeared in?
On television, James Handy has appeared in The X-Files, 9-1-1, Castle, NCIS: Los Angeles.
James Handy
1945-03-19 · New York City, New York, USA
James Michael Handy (March 19, 1945 – June 3, 2026) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television shows since 1977. On film, he appeared as Byers in K-9 (1989) and its sequel, K-911 (1999). He later appeared in Arachnophobia (1990), Jumanji (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Logan (2017), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). His most notable television appearances are on Profiler (1997) and Alias (2002–06).
On June 3, 2026, Handy was found in his front yard with multiple fatal stab wounds in his chest. The suspect, 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, Handy's girlfriend's son, was arrested and booked on a murder charge following a 911 call Gledhill made.