50 years of acting
“Beverly Hills Cop” star John Ashton is dead
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US actor John Ashton is dead. The name will hardly be known to many people, even though he is active in numerous films and series. One role made him known to an audience of millions: “Beverly Hills Cop.” He even recently returned to the screen.
Actor John Ashton, best known as the tough but somewhat stiff-necked and rule-abiding police officer in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, has died at the age of 76. “John passed away peacefully on Thursday in Ft. Collins, Colorado after his battle with cancer,” an agent told TMZ.
During his 50 years in Hollywood, Ashton appeared in more than 200 film, television and stage productions. However, he only became known to a larger audience when he played a leading role alongside the up-and-coming Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop” in 1984.
The actor appeared in three of the now four films about the police officer Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy). He was also part of the fourth part of the series, which was produced by Netflix in 2022. His role was that of Detective Sergeant John Taggart. Especially at the beginning of the series, he has problems with Foley's unconventional approach and repeatedly gets into arguments with him. Especially since his regular partner, Detective Billy Rosewood – played by Judge Reinhold – quickly becomes infected by Foley.
The actor, who comes from Springfield, Massachusetts, appeared in the cult series “M*A*S*H”, among others. In 1988, he starred in the action comedy “Midnight Run” as a rival bounty hunter alongside Robert De Niro. Ashton was mostly seen in B movies.
In addition to his comeback in the fourth “Beverly Hills Cop” part, Ashton was most recently co-host of the “Ashton and Davis Show” on ESPN Radio. His representative there, Alan Somers, told TMZ: “John leaves a legacy of love, dedication and commitment to duty.”
