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

John Ashton, known for his role as John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colo., his manager Alan Somers confirmed to Variety . He was 76.

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Ashton played Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, released in 1984 and 1987, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He reprised his role in 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which his character is now a police chief.

Ashton’s acting career spanned more than 50 years. His early film credits include “An Eye for an Eye” (1973), “So Evil, My Sister” (1974), “Cat Murkil and the Silks” (1976), “Breaking Away” (1979), “Borderline” (1980) and “Honky Tonk Freeway” (1981). He also guest starred on several television series during the ’70s, including “Emergency!,” “Columbo,” “Police Story,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Police Woman,” “MASH,” “Starsky and Hutch” and “Dallas.”

Ashton portrayed Cliff Nelson, father of Eric Stoltz’s Keith Nelson, in the 1987 teen rom-com “Some Kind of Wonderful,” written and produced by John Hughes. He worked with Hughes again on the 1988 rom-com “She’s Having a Baby,” starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern.

In the 1988 action-comedy “Midnight Run,” Ashton played a rival bounty hunter to Robert De Niro’s Jack Walsh. He also had a supporting role in the Ben Affleck-directed 2007 thriller, “Gone Baby Gone.” Additional film credits include “I Want to Go Home” (1989), “Little Big League” (1984), “Trapped in Paradise” (1994), “In the Living Years” (1994), “Hidden Assassin” (1995), “For Which He Stands” (1996), “Fast Money” (1996), “Meet the Deedles” (1998), “Instinct” (1999), “Sweet Deadly Dreams” (2006), “Middle Men” (2009) and “Uncle John” (2015).

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On the television side, Ashton starred as Charlie Battles on the crime drama series “Hardball,” which ran on NBC for one season from 1989 to 1990. He made guest appearances on “The Twilight Zone,” “The A-Team,” “Police Squad!,” “EastEnders,” “Brookside,” “Fantasy Island,” “Going to California,” “Body & Soul,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and more.

John David Ashton was born on Feb. 22, 1948, in Springfield, Mass., to Edward Richard Ashton, Sr. and Eva May (Wells) Ashton. He was raised in Enfield, Conn., where he graduated from Enfield High School. After attending Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, for two years, he transferred to the University of Southern California and graduated with a BA in theater arts.

Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye; children Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton; step-children Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio and Ashley Hoye; grandson Henry; sisters Sharon Ann Ashton and Linda Jean Ashton; and brother Edward Richard Ashton. He was preceded in death by his parents.

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