John Ashton, an actor with a long list of movie credits but perhaps best known as police officer John Taggert in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, has died at the age of 76, according to multiple reports.
Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton’s manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available.
Born on Feb. 22, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton had more than 200 credits in film, television and stage productions. His early career included multiple guest appearances on TV shows such as “Columbo,” “M*A*S*H,” and “Dallas.”
He had small roles in movies such as “Oh, God” and “Breaking Away,” but had his first major role with 1984′s “Beverly Hills Cop,” starring Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold.
He also had roles in the John Hughes films “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “She’s Having a Baby,” as well as “Beverly Hills Cop II” and “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which was released this year on Netflix.
But among his most notable roles was as bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler, the main rival to Robert De Niro in 1987′s “Midnight Run.”
Speaking in July to Collider, Ashton recalled auditioning with De Niro.
“Bobby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,” said Ashton. “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 it 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 attended college for two years in Defiance, Ohio, before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor’s degree theater arts, Variety reports.
Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, of 24 years, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
