John Ashton, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Actor, Dies at 76

Actor John Ashton arrives at the premiere of "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" in Beverly Hills, Calif., on June 20, 2024. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

John Ashton, an actor best known to audiences for his role as Sgt. John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, has died aged 76.

Ashton died last 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 in 1948 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton studied at the University of Southern California and graduated with a BA in theater arts, before beginning his career in the entertainment industry in the 1970s.

His first credited role was in the 1973 horror film “An Eye for an Eye.” Other notable films of his include “Borderline,” “King Kong Lives,” and “Little Big League,” as well as “Midnight Run,” where he starred alongside Robert De Niro, and Ben Affleck’s 2007 psychological thriller “Gone Baby Gone.”

Ashton first appeared as Sgt. John Taggart in 1984’s action-comedy “Beverly Hills Cop” alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He reprised his role for the sequel in 1987 and most recently returned for Nexflix’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” in 2024, in which his character was promoted to the position of chief of the ​Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

In an interview with CBR earlier in the year, Ashton spoke about his early frustration at how fans only recognized him from the popular franchise, but that he later came to see it as an honor.

“I walk down the street, and people go, ‘Hey Taggart! Hey Taggart!’ You know, when it first started happening, I got a little upset because I had done so many other things,” Ashton said.

“I said, ‘Well, you know, I’ve done more things than just Taggart.’ As the years have gone on, I kind of really enjoy it now. There’s not too many actors that can put a stamp on a role that will be with them for eternity, so I take that as an honor now.”

Ashton appeared in three John Hughes films including teen romcoms “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “She’s Having a Baby,” and the family movie “Curly Sue.”

With Ashton’s prolific career spanning over 50 years, he also starred in TV shows such as “Columbo,” “M*A*S*H,” “Dallas,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “The Twilight Zone,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.