'Beverly Hills Cop' Actor John Ashton Dies at 76

John Ashton, John Taggart in several "Beverly Hills Cop" movies, died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was 76.

TMZ confirmed the actor's death, which had been rumored on social media, following a cancer battle.

His rep told TMZ, "John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come."

Ashton was born February 22, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Among more than 200 credits, he was in the films "Breaking Away" (1979), "Honky Tonk Freeway" (1981), "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (1984), "Last Resort" (1986), "King Kong Lives" (1986), "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1987), "She's Having a Baby" (1988), "Midnight Run" (1988), "Curly Sue" (1991), "Little Big League" (1994), "Instinct" (1999), "Gone Baby Gone" (2007), and "Death in Texas" (2020).

He appeared in countless TV guest spots, starting with an episode of "Kojak" in 1974 and including such shows as "Police Woman" (1977), "Wonder Woman" (1977), "M*A*S*H" (1977), "Law & Order: SVU" (2009), and "The Finder" (2012). He recurred on "Dallas" (1978-1979) as Willie Joe Garr, and starred on the short-lived "Hardball" (1989-1990).

But Ashton is best remembered as hard-nosed cop Taggart, a role he played in "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984), "Beverly Hills Cop II" (1987), and in this year's "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." He had appeared at the June premiere of that latest installment.

Ashton's motto, as stated on his official site: "Think big, Work hard, Have a Dream, and Make a Difference!!"

He was survived by his wife, his two children, his grandchildren and other family members.