John Ashton, the veteran character actor best known for his portrayal of the gruff yet endearing police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, has passed away at the age of 76.
Ashton’s passing occurred on Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, as announced by his family in a statement released by his manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
With a career extending over five decades, Ashton was a familiar face in numerous TV series and films, including “Midnight Run,” “Little Big League,” and “Gone Baby Gone.”
However, it was his role in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise that left a lasting impression on audiences. Ashton was a key part of a memorable trio in these films. While Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, a Detroit detective investigating a case in Los Angeles, was the main character, the two local detectives, Billy Rosewood (played by Judge Reinhold) and Ashton’s Taggart, served as Foley’s sometimes hesitant, sometimes willing partners.
Among the three, Taggart, affectionately called “Sarge” by Billy, was the more cautious and rule-abiding detective. Yet, he frequently found himself drawn into Axel’s unconventional schemes. Ashton co-starred in the first two films, starting with the 1984 original, and returned for the Netflix reboot, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which premiered earlier this year.
In Martin Brest’s 1988 buddy comedy “Midnight Run,” Ashton took on a more morally ambiguous role. He played a rival bounty hunter chasing Charles Grodin’s wanted accountant, Duke, who was in the custody of Robert De Niro’s character, Jack Walsh.
Recalling his audition with De Niro during a July interview with Collider, Ashton shared a vivid memory. “Bobby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,” Ashton said. “I looked at the matches, and I looked up, and I said, ‘F— you,’ and he said, ‘F— you, too.’ I said, ‘Go —- yourself.’ I know every other actor picked those up and handed them to him, and I found out as soon as I left he went, ‘I want him,’ because he wanted somebody to stand up to him.”
Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters, and a brother.
