John Ashton, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Actor, Dead At 76

NEW YORK (AP) — John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably performed the gruff however lovable police detective John Taggart within the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, has died. He was 76.

Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his household introduced in a press release launched by Ashton’s supervisor, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No explanation for dying was instantly obtainable.

In a profession that spanned greater than 50 years, Ashton was a daily face throughout TV sequence and movies, together with “Midnight Run,” “Little Massive League” and “Gone Child Gone.”

However within the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, Ashton performed a necessary a part of an indelible trio. Although Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, a Detroit detective following a case in Los Angeles, was the lead, the 2 native detectives — Billy Rosewood (Choose Reinhold) and Ashton’s Taggart — had been Axel’s generally reluctant, generally keen collaborators.

Of the three, Taggart — “Sarge” to Billy — was the extra fearful, by-the-book detective. However he would commonly be coaxed into Axel’s plans. Ashton co-starred within the first two movies, starting with the 1984 unique, and returned for the Netflix reboot, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” launched earlier this 12 months.

Ashton performed a extra unscrupulous character in Martin Brest’s 1988 buddy comedy “Midnight Run.” He was the rival bounty hunter additionally pursuing Charles Grodin’s needed accountant in “The Duke” whereas he’s within the custody of Robert De Niro’s Jack Walsh.

Talking in July to Collider, Ashton recalled auditioning with De Niro.

“Bobby began handing me these matches, and I went to seize the matches, and he threw them on the ground and stared at me,” mentioned Ashton. “I seemed on the matches, and I seemed up, and I mentioned, ‘F—- you,’ and he mentioned, ‘F—- you, too.’ I mentioned, ‘Go —- your self.’ I do know each different actor picked these up and handed it to him, and I came upon as quickly as I left he went, ‘I need him,’ as a result of he needed any individual to face as much as him.”

Ashton is survived by his spouse, Robin Hoye, of 24 years, two youngsters, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.