John Ashton, renowned for his role as John Taggart in Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop series, has died at the age of 76, as confirmed by his manager on Sunday, September 29. Ashton passed away peacefully on Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, after a battle with cancer.
A statement shared with The Independent highlighted his legacy, stating, “John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.” The statement emphasized the love and dedication he showed throughout his life, noting that his memory will be cherished by his family and friends, and that his impact on the world will be remembered for generations.
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1948, Ashton studied for two years at Defiance College in Ohio before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he earned a BA in theater arts. His early film roles included appearances in An Eye for an Eye (1973), Breaking Away (1979), and King Kong Lives (1986).
Ashton first took on the role of Sergeant Taggart in the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop, alongside Murphy and Judge Reinhold, and reprised the character in the 1987 sequel and most recently in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024).
Reflecting on the fame from the franchise, he once remarked, “Initially, I felt a bit upset because I had done so many other things. But over time, I’ve come to enjoy it. Few actors can leave a lasting impression on a role, and I consider that an honor now.”
He also appeared as Eric Stoltz’s father in the 1987 John Hughes comedy Some Kind of Wonderful and collaborated with Hughes again in She’s Having a Baby (1988). That same year, he played a rival bounty hunter to Robert De Niro in Midnight Run.
Typecast often as authority figures, Ashton portrayed a park ranger 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 filmography also includes Curly Sue (1991), Little Big League (1994), Middle Men (2009), and Once Upon a River (2019). On television, he guest-starred in Columbo, Wonder Woman, MASH*, 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, along with his children Michelle and Michael Thomas Ashton, his stepchildren Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio, and Ashley Hoye, and his grandson Henry.
