John Ashton obit

John Ashton, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Actor, Dies at 76

Best known for his role as the tough John Taggart in the film series, he returned to the franchise in July’s “Axel F” 

He was not on the list.

John Ashton, who played John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, died Thursday at his home in Fort Collins, Colorado, a representative for the actor shared with TheWrap. Ashton was 76 years old.

While he was best known for his role as Taggart — including in this year’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” — Ashton’s career spanned more than 200 film, television and stage productions. He played Detective Taggart in the first two “Beverly Hills Cop” films alongside Eddie Murphy before returning to the role for July’s Netflix continuation.

Ashton’s additional credits include the John Hughes films “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “She’s Having a Baby,” “Midnight Run,” “Gone Baby Gone” and “Little Big League.”

Ashton told Nerds of Color in July that returning to the film franchise just felt right. “We developed the characters in the first one. Martin Brest gave us the freedom to run with it and develop our characters, and we grew and grew and grew and we became Taggart and Rosewood, and Axel, you know?” the late performer said. “Going back to this one was like a family reunion, we just fell right back into it.”

John Ashton was born on Feb. 22, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from Enfield High School and attended Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio for two years before he transferred to the University of Southern California and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts.

He is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye; children Michelle Ashton, Michael Thomas Ashton; step-children Courtney Donovan, Lindsay (Brandon) Curcio and Ashley Hoye (Ryan Roby); grandson Henry; and sisters Sharon Ann Ashton, Linda Jean Ashton and brother Edward Richard (Ann) Ashton, Jr., as well as Sharon’s husband Kenneth R. Neill.

A celebration of life for Ashton will be held at a future date, while the family requests any donations in his honor be made to Pathways Hospice Care in Fort Collins.

Variety was first to report this news.

 

Filmography

Film

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1973    The Psychopath            Sgt. Matthews            AKA An Eye for an Eye

As John D. Ashton

1974    So Evil, My Sister            Brock  

1976    Cat Murkil and the Silks     Coach Larkin 

1977    Oh, God!    Police Officer            Uncredited

1980            Breaking Away            Mike's Brother

1980            Borderline        Border Patrol Agent Charlie Monroe           

1981    Honky Tonk Freeway            Otto Kemper           

1984    The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension            Highway Patrolman            As John David Ashton

1984    Beverly Hills Cop            Sgt. John Taggart    

1984    Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link            Cash Hunt     Video short

1986    Last Resort  Phil Cocoran          

1986    King Kong Lives            Lt. Col. R. T. Nevitt     

1987    Some Kind of Wonderful            Cliff Nelson

1987    Beverly Hills Cop II            Sgt. John Taggart    

1988    She's Having a Baby            Ken     

1988            Midnight Run  Marvin Dorfler

1989    I Want to Go Home            Harry Dempsey         

1991    Curly Sue      Frank Arnold            Uncredited

1994    Little Big League            Mac Macnally         

1994            Trapped in Paradise            Ed Dawson           

1995    In the Living Years            Mike Donahue          

1995    Hidden Assassin            Alex Reed   

1996    For Which He Stands  District Attorney          

1996    Fast Money Lt. Diego  

1998    Meet the Deedles            Captain Douglas Pine   

1998    My Uncle Sidney            Uncle Sidney  Short

1999    Instinct            Guard Dacks 

1999            Avalanche       Kemp            AKA Escape from Alaska

2001    Bill's Gun Shop            Bill Voight 

2006    Sweet Deadly Dreams            Harry  

2007    Gone Baby Gone            Detective Nick Poole 

2009    Middle Men     Morgan           

2015    Uncle John     John    

2016    The Neighborhood            Matt Kravinsky        

2018    The Joke Thief            Joseph Rogers (Reporter)       

2019    The Last Big Save            Joseph Bird Sr.           

2019    Making a Deal with the Devil    FBI Director           

2019    My Little Baby            Sheriff Johnson           

2019            American Christmas            Rob     

2019    Once Upon a River            Smoke

2020    Death in Texas            Asher  

2024    Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F          Chief John Taggart    

TBA     Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2 Judge Nathan Rivers            Completed

TBA     Hot Bath, Stiff Drink, an' a Close Shave            Judge Nathan Rivers            Post-production

 

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1974    Kojak            Cullen            Episode: "Mojo"

1974            Emergency!      Station Wagon Driver            Episode: "Gossip" Uncredited

1974            Columbo          Calvin MacGruder            Episode: "Negative Reaction"

1975    My Father's House            Sergeant            Television film

1976    Phyllis            Taxpayer            Episode: "You're Not Getting Better, Just Older"

1976    Police Story    Sgt. Paulson            Episode: "The other Side of the Badge"

1976            Barnaby Jones Lester Shiller            Episode: "Fraternity of Thieves"

1977    Police Woman            Curt Thomas            Episode: "Once a Snitch"

1977            Wonder Woman            Nazi Henchman (uncredited)            Episode: "Formula 407"

1977    Code R            Karl            Episode: "A Federal Case"

1977    The Rhinemann Exchange            Ballentyne            Miniseries

1977            M*A*S*H     The M.P.            Episode: "Last Laugh"

1977    Starsky & Hutch            Paul H. Willits            Episode: "The Committee"

1978    The Wilds of Ten Thousand Islands  Orville            Television film

1978    Starsky & Hutch            Roy Sears            Episode: "The Groupie"

1978            Lawman Without a Gun      1st State Trooper            Television film

1978    Carter Country            Guardsman #1            Episode: "Hurricane Jasper"

1978–1979            Dallas            Willie Joe Garr            Recurring role (6 episodes)

1980–1981            Breaking Away            Roy            Episodes: "The Cutters", "La Strada"

1981    Elvis and the Beauty Queen  Jake            Television film

1982    Police Squad! Rocky            Episode: "Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)"

1985    The A-Team    Cactus Jack Slater            Episode: "Cup A' Joe"

1985    A Death in California            Detective Bob Swalwell            Miniseries

1985    The Twilight Zone            Crew Chief Brady Simmons (segment "Chameleon")            Episode: "Wordplay/Dreams for Sale/Chameleon"

1986    The Deliberate Stranger            Detective Roger Dunn            Miniseries

1986            Hardcastle and McCormick            Leonard Porter            Episode: "A Chip Off the Ol' Milt"

1986            Brothers           Agent Harris            Episode: "The Gang Who Could Shoot Straight"

1989    I Know My First Name Is Steven            Del Stayner            Miniseries

1989–1990            Hardball           Charlie Battles  Main role (18 episodes)

1990    The Tracey Ullman Show   Jimmy, neighborly doorman            Episode: "Who Is He?"

1991    Love, Lies and Murder            Carrothers            Miniseries

1991            Saturday's        George            Television film

1992    Dirty Work   Eddie            Television film

1993    The Tommyknockers            Trooper Butch Dugan            Miniseries

1996    JAG            Agent Brian Turque            Episode: "Skeleton Crew"

1997    Little Girls in Pretty Boxes   Peter Bryant            Television film

1998    The Day Lincoln Was Shot            Ulysses S. Grant            Television film

1998    King of the Hill            Instructor         Voice, episode: "Pregnant Paws"

1999    Fantasy Island   Bobby            Episode: "Heroes"

2001    Judging Amy     Dashiel Purdue            Episode: "Everybody Falls Down"

2001    Going to California            Victor            Episode: "Apocalypse Cow"

2002    Body & Soul Jordan Meadows            Episode: "Saviors"

2003    Family            Martin            Miniseries

2005    Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part            Richie Parsons            Television film

2007    Reign of the Gargoyles            Commander Latham            Television film

2009    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit            Chief of Detectives            Episode: "Baggage"

2011    Fairly Legal    Lou Fisher            Episode: "Bo Me Once"

2012    The Finder            Franklin Sherman            Episode: "The Boy with the Bucket"