John Ashton, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ actor, dies 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 an announcement launched by Ashton’s supervisor, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No reason 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 Huge League” and “Gone Child Gone.”

However within the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, Ashton performed a vital 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 (Decide Reinhold) and Ashton’s Taggart — had been Axel’s typically reluctant, typically keen collaborators.

Of the three, Taggart — “Sarge” to Billy — was the extra fearful, by-the-book detective. However he would usually be coaxed into Axel’s plans. Ashton co-starred within the first two movies, starting with the 1984 authentic, and returned for the 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,” stated Ashton. “I seemed on the matches, and I seemed up, and I stated, ‘F—- you,’ and he stated, ‘F—- you, too.’ I stated, ‘Go —- your self.’ I do know each different actor picked these up and handed it to him, and I discovered as quickly as I left he went, ‘I would like him,’ as a result of he needed someone to face as much as him.”

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

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This story has been up to date to appropriate that Ashton starred in three of the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, not all 4.

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