Anecdotes

Was fluent in Italian. He worked on and off in that country since the early 1960s.

Had a black belt in karate.

One day when he was cutting class he was discovered by a male model agent while leaving the local movie house. He went on to model for magazine covers like True Romances which led to his Hollywood career.

His ashes are buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle near Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee.

He was the son of Anna (Protettore), an Italian immigrant, and Antonio Orrico, who was born in New York, to Italian parents. John had roots in Calabria.

Had one son with his former wife Mary Ann Saxon: Antonio Saxon.

Acting mentor and friend of Heather Langenkamp.

Was a celebrity player (along with Betty White) on the final week of the cult-classic game show Whew! (1979) (when the show was known as "Celebrity Whew!").

Was discovered by Henry Willson who saw him in a posed shot on the cover of True Romances magazine.

He starred in two films about Genghis Khan: Gengis Khan (1992) and Genghis Khan: The Story of a Lifetime (1992).

He was proficient in archery due to his job during high school working at a Coney Island archery concession as a spieler.

He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Une étoile est née (1954), Opération Dragon (1973) and Les Griffes de la nuit (1984).

Was often the "Special Guest Star" in many pilots for new TV series, including Kung Fu, Cimarron Strip, Scarecrow & Mrs King, It Takes a Thief, and more. In addition, he would often reappear multiple times as different characters in one same series, such as The Six Million Dollar Man and Bonanza.

Upon his death, he was cremated and his ashes returned to his family.

Studied dramatics for six months with Betty Cashman at Carnegie Hall before he flew to Hollywood where he was quickly signed by Universal and attended the studio's workshop for 18 months.

Alumnus of Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

According to his partner and his son, Saxon was 83 at the time of his death, which confirms that he was born in 1936, not the widely quoted 1935.

Attended and graduated from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, New York in 1953.

Co-starred with Sandra Dee in three films: Des jeux pour pleurer (1958), Qu'est-ce que maman comprend à l'amour! (1958), and Meurtre sans faire-part (1960). In 1991, they co-starred in the play "Love Letters".

Had a grandson as well as a great-grandchild.

Attended the Williamsburg Film Festival in Williamsburg, Virginia. (mars 2012)

He was a lifelong liberal Democrat.

He starred in four films which feature the word "Blood": The Night Caller (1965), Queen of Blood (1966), La Plage sanglante (1980) and Mad jake (1990).