John Ashton, recognized for taking part in John Taggert in Beverly Hills Cop and two sequels, has died. He was 76.

Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, after a quick battle with most cancers, his supervisor, Alan Somers, informed The Hollywood Reporter.

Ashton’s Detective Sergeant Taggart appeared within the first two Beverly Hills Cop motion pictures in 1984 and 1987 alongside Eddie Murphy and Choose Reinhold. He returned because the character — now promoted to police chief — in 2024’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

Ashton additionally appeared in movies and TV exhibits that spanned greater than a half-century, together with 1973’s An Eye for an Eye, 1974’s So Evil, My Sister, 1976’s Cat Murkil and the Silks, 1979’s Borderline and 1981’s Honky Tonk Freeway.

Extra lately, he had roles in 2006’s Candy Lethal Goals, 2007’s Gone Child Gone, 2009’s Center Males and 2023’s Lonesome Soldier. On tv, he visitor starred on Columbo, Police Story, Barnaby Jones and M*A*S*H.

On Dallas in 1978-79, he performed Willie Jo Garr, a enterprise affiliate of JR’s (Larry Hagman) who unintentionally causes the loss of life of JR’s former secretary and mistress Julie Grey (Tina Louise).

John David Ashton was born Feb. 22, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts. His dad and mom have been Edward Richard Ashton Sr. and Eva Could Ashton, who raised him in Enfield, Connecticut. He attended Enfield Excessive Faculty and Defiance Faculty earlier than transferring to USC, the place he graduated with a BA in theater arts.

Ashton is survived by his sisters, Sharon Ann Ashton (and her husband, Montana State District Choose Kenneth R. Neill) and Linda Jean Ashton, and his brother, Edward Richard (Ann) Ashton Jr.

A celebration of life service will likely be held later. Donations in his reminiscence might be made to Pathways Hospice Care, 305 Carpenter Street, Fort Collins, CO 80525.