John Ashton
John David Ashton (February 22, 1948 – September 26, 2024) was an American actor best known for his role as Sergeant John Taggart in the hit action-comedy films Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), where he played alongside Eddie Murphy. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton developed a passion for acting early in life, later attending the University of Southern California's School of Theatre. Beyond his iconic role in the Beverly Hills Cop series, Ashton appeared in a wide range of films and TV shows throughout his career. His notable film appearances include Midnight Run (1988) alongside Robert De Niro, where he portrayed a bounty hunter named Marvin Dorfler. On television, Ashton has made guest appearances on popular series such as Columbo, MASH, and The A-Team. Ashton's performances are often characterized by his ability to balance humor and toughness, making him a beloved character actor, especially in roles that highlight his everyman charm and strong screen presence.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · All Happy Families as
- 2024 · Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F as Chief John Taggart
- 2024 · BRATS as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2023 · Lonesome Soldier as Macroberts
- 2022 · Death in Texas as Asher
- 2019 · American Christmas as Rob
- 2019 · Making a Deal with the Devil as FBI Director
- 2019 · The Last Big Save as Joseph Bird Sr.
- 2019 · Once Upon a River as
- 2018 · The Joke Thief as Joseph Rogers
- 2015 · Uncle John as Uncle John
- 2012 · The Finder as Franklin Sherman
- 2011 · Fairly Legal as Lou Fisher
- 2009 · A Letter to Dad as Mike Donahue
- 2009 · Middle Men as Morgan
- 2007 · Gone Baby Gone as Det. Nick Poole
- 2007 · Reign of the Gargoyles as Commander Latham
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Alan Fewkes
- 1999 · Judging Amy as Dashiel Purdue
- 1999 · Escape from Alaska as Kemp
- 1999 · Instinct as Guard Dacks
- 1998 · Fantasy Island as Bobby
- 1998 · The Day Lincoln Was Shot as Ulysses S. Grant
- 1998 · Meet the Deedles as Capt. Douglas Pine
- 1997 · Little Girls in Pretty Boxes as Peter Bryant
- 1997 · King of the Hill as Instructor (voice)
- 1996 · Fast Money as Lt. Diego
- 1996 · For Which He Stands as District Attorney
- 1995 · The Shooter as Alex Reed
- 1995 · Condition Red as Deputy Warden
- 1995 · JAG as Brian Turque
- 1994 · Trapped in Paradise as Ed Dawson
- 1994 · Little Big League as Mac MacNally
- 1993 · The Tommyknockers as Butch Duggan
- 1992 · A Touch of Frost as
- 1992 · Dirty Work as Eddie Ryan
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as
- 1991 · Curly Sue as Frank Arnold
- 1989 · I Want to Go Home as Harry Dempsey
- 1989 · Hardball as Charlie Battles
- 1989 · I Know My First Name Is Steven as Del Stayner
- 1988 · Midnight Run as Marvin Dorfler
- 1988 · She's Having a Baby as Ken
- 1987 · Beverly Hills Cop II as John Taggart
- 1987 · Some Kind of Wonderful as Cliff Nelson
- 1986 · King Kong Lives as Lt. Col. R.T. Nevitt
- 1986 · The Deliberate Stranger as Det. Roger Dunn
- 1986 · Last Resort as Phil Cocoran
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as Chief Brady Simmons
- 1985 · A Death in California as Bob Swalwell
- 1984 · Beverly Hills Cop as Sgt. Taggart
- 1984 · The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension as Highway Patrolman
- 1984 · Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link as Cash Hunt
- 1983 · The A-Team as Cactus Jack Slater
- 1982 · Police Squad! as
- 1981 · Honky Tonk Freeway as Otto Kemper
- 1981 · Elvis and the Beauty Queen as Jake
- 1980 · Borderline as Charlie Monroe
- 1979 · Lawman Without a Gun as 1st State Trooper
- 1979 · Breaking Away as Mike's Brother
- 1978 · Dallas as Willie Joe Garr
- 1978 · The Wilds of Ten Thousand Islands as Orville
- 1977 · Oh, God! as Police Officer (uncredited)
- 1977 · Code R as Karl
- 1976 · Cat Murkil and the Silks as Coach Larkin
- 1975 · Starsky & Hutch as
- 1975 · My Father's House as Sergeant
- 1974 · Psycho Sisters as Brock
- 1974 · Police Woman as
- 1973 · Kojak as Cullen
- 1973 · An Eye for an Eye as Sgt. Matthews
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1972 · M*A*S*H as
- 1971 · Columbo as Calvin MacGruder
- 1952 · Today as Self