John Ashton, the actor known for beloved action/comedy films like “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Midnight Run,” has passed away.
He was 76.
Variety reported Ashton’s manager Alan Somers confirmed Ashton passed away in Fort Collins, Colo.
Born in Springfield, Mass., Ashton attended Defiance College before graduating from the University of Southern California’s theatre school. He got his acting start on television in shows like “Dallas,” “Columbo” and “Police Squad!” before appearing in notable films like “Oh, God!” (1977), “Breaking Away” (1980) and “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” (1984).
Ashton would appear as Sgt. John Taggart in 1984′s “Beverly Hills Cop” alongside Judge Reinhold to play cops assigned to follow Eddie Murph’s Axel Foley. Ashton would reprise the role in the following three sequels, including 2024′s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which released on Netflix.
Other notable film roles included “King Kong Lives” (1986), “Some Kind of Wonderful” (1987), “She’s Having a Baby” (1988), “Midnight Run” (1988), “Little Big League” (1994), “Meet the Deedles” (1998) and “Gone Baby Gone” (2007).
