John Ashton death: Beverly Hills Cop actor dies aged 76 after battle with cancer

John Ashton, known for his role as John Taggart in Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop films, has died at the age of 76, his manager confirmed Sunday (September 29).

Ashton passed away “peacefully” on Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, following a battle with cancer

“John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” reads a statement shared with The Independent.

“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 in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1948. 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.

His early film credits included roles in An Eye for an Eye (1973), Breaking Away (1979), Borderline (1980), Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), Last Resort (1986) and King Kong Lives (1986).

After first portraying Sergeant Taggart in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop with Murphy and Judge Reinhold, Ashton reprised the role for the 1987 sequel and most recently returned for Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024).

Speaking about the fame the comedy franchise brought him, Ashton told Comic Book Resources earlier this year: “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.

“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 as Eric Stoltz's character's father in the 1987 John Hughes-penned comedy Some Kind of Wonderful, and worked with Hughes again in She's Having a Baby in 1988.

In the same year, he starred as a rival bounty hunter to Robert De Niro in Midnight Run.

Often typecast as authority figures, Ashton went on to play park ranger Douglas Pine in Meet the Deedles (1996), a brutal prison guard in Instinct (1999) and Detective Nick Poole in Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone (2007).

His other film credits include Curly Sue (1991), Little Big League (1994), Middle Men (2009) and Once Upon a River (2019). On television, he starred in episodes of Columbo, Wonder Woman, M*A*S*H, Starsky & Hutch, Dallas, The A-Team, The Twilight Zone, Judging Amy and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye, as well as his children Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton, his stepchildren Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio and Ashley Hoye, and his grandson Henry.