John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the 鈥淏everly Hills Cop鈥� films, has died. He was 76.
Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton鈥檚 manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available.
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ashton was a regular face across TV series and films, including 鈥淢idnight Run,鈥� 鈥淟ittle Big League鈥� and 鈥淕one Baby Gone.鈥�
But in the 鈥淏everly Hills Cop鈥� films, Ashton played an essential part of an indelible trio. Though Eddie Murphy鈥檚 Axel Foley, a Detroit detective following a case in Los Angeles, was the lead, the two local detectives 鈥� Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Ashton鈥檚 Taggart 鈥� were Axel鈥檚 sometimes reluctant, sometimes eager collaborators.
Of the three, Taggart 鈥� 鈥淪arge鈥� to Billy 鈥� was the more fearful, by-the-book detective. But he would regularly be coaxed into Axel鈥檚 plans. Ashton co-starred in all four of the films, beginning with the 1984 original and running through the Netflix reboot, 鈥淏everly Hills Cop: Axel F,鈥� released earlier this year.
Ashton played a more unscrupulous character in Martin Brest鈥檚 1988 buddy comedy 鈥淢idnight Run.鈥� He was the rival bounty hunter also pursuing Charles Grodin鈥檚 wanted accountant in 鈥淭he Duke鈥� while he鈥檚 in the custody of Robert De Niro鈥檚 Jack Walsh.
Speaking in July to Collider, Ashton recalled auditioning with De Niro.
鈥淏obby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,鈥� said Ashton. 鈥淚 looked at the matches, and I looked up, and I said, `F鈥�- you,鈥� and he said, `F鈥�- you, too.鈥� I said, `Go 鈥�- yourself.鈥� I know every other actor picked those up and handed it to him, and I found out as soon as I left he went, `I want him,鈥� because he wanted somebody to stand up to him.鈥�
Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, of 24 years, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.
