John Ashton, known for playing John Taggert in Beverly Hills Cop and two sequels, has died. He was 76.
Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, after a brief battle with cancer, his manager, Alan Somers, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Ashton’s Detective Sergeant Taggart appeared in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies in 1984 and 1987 alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He returned as the character — now promoted to police chief — in 2024’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Ashton also appeared in films and TV shows that spanned more than a half-century, including 1973’s An Eye for an Eye, 1974’s So Evil, My Sister, 1976’s Cat Murkil and the Silks, 1979’s Borderline and 1981’s Honky Tonk Freeway.
More recently, he had roles in 2006’s Sweet Deadly Dreams, 2007’s Gone Baby Gone, 2009’s Middle Men and 2023’s Lonesome Soldier. On television, he guest starred on Columbo, Police Story, Barnaby Jones and M*A*S*H.
Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, after a brief battle with cancer, his manager, Alan Somers, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Ashton’s Detective Sergeant Taggart appeared in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies in 1984 and 1987 alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He returned as the character — now promoted to police chief — in 2024’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Ashton also appeared in films and TV shows that spanned more than a half-century, including 1973’s An Eye for an Eye, 1974’s So Evil, My Sister, 1976’s Cat Murkil and the Silks, 1979’s Borderline and 1981’s Honky Tonk Freeway.
More recently, he had roles in 2006’s Sweet Deadly Dreams, 2007’s Gone Baby Gone, 2009’s Middle Men and 2023’s Lonesome Soldier. On television, he guest starred on Columbo, Police Story, Barnaby Jones and M*A*S*H.
- 9/29/2024
- by Zoe G. Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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