John Ashton, Sgt. John Taggart in “Beverly Hills Cop”, dies at 74

The actor is also known for his roles in "Midnight Run" and "Some Kind of Wonderful."

John Ashton, the actor known for his roles in Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run, and Some Kind of Wonderful, has died. He was 76.

Ashton died peacefully at his Ft. Collins, Colo., home on Sept. 26, his manager Alan Somers confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.

"John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him," Somers said in a statement provided to EW. "His legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come."

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Born John David Ashton on Feb. 22, 1948, in Springfield, Mass., the actor was raised in Enfield, Conn. He studied theater at the University of Southern California and went on to accrue more than 200 credits in film and television throughout his career.

His earliest gigs include roles in the 1973 horror film An Eye for an Eye, the Oscar-winning comedy Breaking Away, and the sixth entry in the King Kong franchise, 1986's King Kong Lives.

Ashton is perhaps most recognizable for his portrayal of Sgt. John Taggart, the gruff, by-the-books police officer paired with Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. After starring opposite Murphy in the original 1984 film and its 1987 sequel, Beverly Hills Cop II, Ashton recently reprised the role for this year's Netflix-produced follow-up, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

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Ahead of the movie's July 2024 release, Ashton spoke to CBR about his legacy as Sgt. Taggart, admitting that he wasn't initially thrilled about being recognized for his part in the 1984 original.

"I walk down the street and people go, 'Hey Taggart! Hey Taggart!' You know, when it first started happening, I got a little upset because I had done so many other things," Ashton said. "I said, 'Well, you know, I've done more things than just Taggart.' As the years have gone on, I kind of really enjoy it now. There's not too many actors that can put a stamp on a role that will be with them for eternity, so I take that as an honor now."

Outside the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, Ashton appeared in the 1987 John Hughes comedy Some Kind of Wonderful as the father of Eric Stoltz' Keith Nelson. For EW’s 2019 oral history of the film, Ashton spoke fondly of working with his onscreen son. "He never called me John. He always called me Pop," he recalled. "The whole time we were shooting, even off camera. We'd go to lunch and he'd call me Pop. When we finished our last scene, we went and had lunch and he called me John."

Ashton would later reunite with Hughes for the writer-director's 1988 romantic comedy, She’s Having a Baby. That same year, he starred opposite Robert De Niro in Midnight Run as the rival bounty hunter of De Niro's character. He also starred in 1994's Little Big League with Luke Edwards, 1994's Trapped in Paradise, 1998's Meet the Deedles, 1999's Instinct, and the 2007 Ben Affleck–directed drama, Gone Baby Gone.

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On the small screen, Ashton appeared in episodes of Columbo, M*A*S*H, Mr. Sunshine, The A-Team, JAG, Fairly Legal, and The Finder. He also headlined the short-lived NBC drama Hardball alongside Richard Tyson.

Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye; his children, Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton; and his step-children, Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Brandon Curcio, and Ashley Hoye.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.