John Ashton arrives at the premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Image: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
NEW YORK — John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, has died. He was 76.
Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton’s manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available.
Article continues after this advertisementIn a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ashton was a regular face across TV series and films, including “Midnight Run,” “Little Big League” and “Gone Baby Gone.”
FEATURED STORIES ENTERTAINMENT Alodia Gosiengfiao on her first pregnancy: ‘It’s a lot of work but exciting’ ENTERTAINMENT ‘Bling Empire’ star Kevin Kreider honored to join ‘Hello, Love, Again’ cast ENTERTAINMENT Loisa Andalio hopes to inspire young ones in esports film ‘Friendly Fire’But in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, Ashton played an essential part of an indelible trio. Though Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, a Detroit detective following a case in Los Angeles, was the lead, the two local detectives — Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Ashton’s Taggart — were Axel’s sometimes reluctant, sometimes eager collaborators.
Of the three, Taggart — “Sarge” to Billy — was the more fearful, by-the-book detective. But he would regularly be coaxed into Axel’s plans. Ashton co-starred in all four of the films, beginning with the 1984 original and running through the Netflix reboot, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” released earlier this year.
Article continues after this advertisement
Ashton played a more unscrupulous character in Martin Brest’s 1988 buddy comedy “Midnight Run.” He was the rival bounty hunter also pursuing Charles Grodin’s wanted accountant in “The Duke” while he’s in the custody of Robert De Niro’s Jack Walsh.
Article continues after this advertisementSpeaking in July to Collider, Ashton recalled auditioning with De Niro.
“Bobby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,” said Ashton. “I looked at the matches, and I looked up, and I said, ‘F— you,’ and he said, ‘F— you, too.’ I said, ‘Go — yourself.’ I know every other actor picked those up and handed it to him, and I found out as soon as I left he went, ‘I want him,’ because he wanted somebody to stand up to him.”
Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, of 24 years, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter