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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

76

Gender

Male

Birthday

1948-02-22

Day of Death

2024-09-26 (76 years old)

Place of Birth

Springfield, Massachusetts, USA

Also Known As

John David Ashton

جان اشتون

John Ashton

Biography

John David Ashton (February 22, 1948 – September 26, 2024) was an American actor best known for his role as Sergeant John Taggart in the hit action-comedy films Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2025) where he played alongside Eddie Murphy. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton developed a passion for acting early in life, later attending the University of Southern California's School of Theatre. Beyond his iconic role in the Beverly Hills Cop series, Ashton appeared in a wide range of films and TV shows throughout his career. His notable film appearances include Midnight Run (1988) alongside Robert De Niro, where he portrayed a bounty hunter named Marvin Dorfler. On television, Ashton has made guest appearances on popular series such as Columbo, MASH, and The A-Team. Ashton's performances are often characterized by his ability to balance humor and toughness, making him a beloved character actor, especially in roles that highlight his everyman charm and strong screen presence.

Known For

Acting

Beverly Hills Cop

1984

Beverly Hills Cop

as

Sgt. Taggart

Beverly Hills Cop II

1987

Beverly Hills Cop II

as

John Taggart

Lawman Without a Gun

1979

Lawman Without a Gun

as

1st State Trooper

Gone Baby Gone

2007

Gone Baby Gone

as

Det. Nick Poole

Breaking Away

1979

Breaking Away

as

Mike's Brother

Little Big League

1994

Little Big League

as

Mac MacNally

Trapped in Paradise

1994

Trapped in Paradise

as

Ed Dawson

King Kong Lives

1986

King Kong Lives

as

Lt. Col. R.T. Nevitt

Borderline

1980

Borderline

as

Charlie Monroe

Midnight Run

1988

Midnight Run

as

Marvin Dorfler, Headhunter

Meet the Deedles

1998

Meet the Deedles

as

Capt. Douglas Pine

Reign of the Gargoyles

2007

Reign of the Gargoyles

as

Commander Latham

Psycho Sisters

1974

Psycho Sisters

as

Brock

Some Kind of Wonderful

1987

Some Kind of Wonderful

as

Cliff Nelson

An Eye for an Eye

1973

An Eye for an Eye

as

Sgt. Matthews

The Shooter

1995

The Shooter

as

Alex Reed

The Deliberate Stranger

1986

The Deliberate Stranger

as

Det. Roger Dunn

Fast Money

1996

Fast Money

as

Lt. Diego

Cat Murkil and the Silks

1976

Cat Murkil and the Silks

as

Coach Larkin

For Which He Stands

1996

For Which He Stands

as

District Attorney

The Day Lincoln Was Shot

1998

The Day Lincoln Was Shot

as

Ulysses S. Grant

Middle Men

2009

Middle Men

as

Morgan

Last Resort

1986

Last Resort

as

Phil Cocoran

Lonesome Soldier

2023

Lonesome Soldier

as

Macroberts

Oh, God!

1977

Oh, God!

as

Police Officer (uncredited)

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

2024

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

as

Chief John Taggart

All Happy Families

2024

All Happy Families

as

Roy Landry

Uncle John

2015

Uncle John

as

Uncle John

Dirty Work

1992

Dirty Work

as

Eddie Ryan

Condition Red

1995

Condition Red

as

Deputy Warden

Instinct

1999

Instinct

as

Guard Dacks

BRATS

2024

BRATS

as

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Curly Sue

1991

Curly Sue

as

Frank Arnold

The Joke Thief

2018

The Joke Thief

as

Joseph Rogers

The Last Big Save

2019

The Last Big Save

as

Joseph Bird Sr.

Honky Tonk Freeway

1981

Honky Tonk Freeway

as

Otto Kemper

A Letter to Dad

2009

A Letter to Dad

as

Mike Donahue

I Want to Go Home

1989

I Want to Go Home

as

Harry Dempsey

Death in Texas

2022

Death in Texas

as

Asher

My Father's House

1975

My Father's House

as

Sergeant

Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2

Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2

as

Judge Nathan Rivers

Judging Amy

Judging Amy

as

Dashiel Purdue

Today

Today

as

Self

Kojak

Kojak

as

Cullen

Dallas

Dallas

as

Willie Joe Garr

Hardball

Hardball

as

Charlie Battles

Code R

Code R

as

Karl

The Finder

The Finder

as

Franklin Sherman

Columbo

Columbo

as

Calvin MacGruder

The Tommyknockers

The Tommyknockers

as

Butch Duggan

A Death in California

A Death in California

as

Bob Swalwell

Fairly Legal

Fairly Legal

as

Lou Fisher

King of the Hill

King of the Hill

as

Instructor (voice)

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

as

Chief Brady Simmons (segment "Chameleon")

JAG

JAG

as

Brian Turque

The A-Team

The A-Team

as

Cactus Jack Slater

Production

Crew

Directing