‘Beverly Hills Cop’ actor John Ashton dead at 76
Veteran character actor John Ashton has passed away at the age of 76, just months after reprising the most famous character of his career in the Netflix sequel Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Ashton had been a regular presence on screens big and small since the early 1970s, but it was the role of police sergeant – and latterly police chief – John Taggart alongside Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley and Judge Reinhold’s Billy Rosewood in the first, second, and fourth instalments of the buddy cop franchise that brought him the greatest levels of visibility.
Outside of Beverly Hills Cop, Ashton enjoyed a prolific career in film and television spanning more than half a century, one that saw him appear in some of the biggest shows of their era, including guest spots in episodes of Kojak, Columbo, M*A*S*H, Starsky & Hutch, Dallas, and The A-Team.
No stranger to a cult classic or acclaimed prestige picture, either, the star’s theatrical credits the bonkers sci-fi comedy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, hit teen drama Some Kind of Wonderful, road trip caper Midnight Run, and Ben Affleck’s directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, where his stern gravitas regularly saw him cast as an authority figure or member of law enforcement.
Confirming the news of his death, Ashton’s representatives revealed the actor had been quietly battling cancer, describing the actor as “a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”
“John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service,” the statement continued. “His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.”
Ashton has two movies set for posthumous release. He plays a judge in writer and director Matthew Gratzner’s Hot Bath an’ a Stiff Drink 2 and Hot Bath, Stiff Drink, an’ a Close Shave, the sequels to the filmmaker’s 2014 original Hot Bath an’ a Stiff Drink, both of which feature Clint Eastwood’s daughter Alison as part of the ensemble.
It’s bittersweet but poignant nonetheless that Ashton’s final performance to be released during his lifetime was a Beverly Hills Cop movie, with Taggart becoming the most recognisable role of his career and the only one he ever played more than once until Gratzner’s aforementioned Stiff Drink follow-ups.
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