John Ashton

John David Ashton (February 22, 1948 – September 26, 2024) was an American actor, known for his roles in the Beverly Hills Cop films, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Midnight Run.

Biography Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton attended Defiance College in Ohio and was a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre and Dance. He attended Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut.

Ashton made numerous appearances in both television and feature films. He played Willie Joe Garr on several episodes of Dallas. He appeared in an episode of Columbo, "Negative Reaction", and in episode 5 of Police Squad!, "Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)".

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).

Ashton starred as Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the Beverly Hills Cop series, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He appeared as Eric Stoltz's character's father in the 1987 John Hughes-penned comedy-drama Some Kind of Wonderful, and worked with Hughes again in She's Having a Baby in 1988.

In 1988, he co-starred in the action-comedy Midnight Run as a rival bounty hunter to Robert De Niro's character. He starred in Little Big League (1994) with Luke Edwards, Trapped in Paradise (1994), The Shooter (1995), Meet the Deedles (1998), Instinct (1999), and appeared in a supporting role in the 2007 drama Gone Baby Gone directed by Ben Affleck. He played the role of Cactus Jack Slater in an episode of the 80s TV show The A-Team titled "Cup A' Joe".

Ashton stated that, given the proper arrangements, he would like to reprise his roles in the rumored Beverly Hills Cop IV and Midnight Run II productions; he ultimately appeared in 2024's Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. He guest-starred opposite Beverly Hills Cop co-star Ronny Cox in an episode of Matthew Perry's 2011 series, Mr. Sunshine. Three months after his death, one of his films, Beverly Hills Cop, was inducted into Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

Filmography Source: Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 The Psychopath Sgt. Matthews AKA An Eye for an EyeAs John D. Ashton 1974 So Evil, My Sister Brock 1976 Cat Murkil and the Silks Coach Larkin 1977 Oh, God! Police Officer Uncredited 1979 Breaking Away Roy (older brother of Mike) 1980 Borderline Border Patrol Agent Charlie Monroe 1981 Honky Tonk Freeway Otto Kemper 1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Highway Patrolman As John David Ashton Beverly Hills Cop Sgt. John Taggart Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link Cash Hunt Video short 1986 Last Resort Phil Cocoran King Kong Lives Lt. Col. Archie Nevitt 1987 Some Kind of Wonderful Cliff Nelson Beverly Hills Cop II Sgt. John Taggart 1988 She's Having a Baby Ken Midnight Run Marvin Dorfler 1989 I Want to Go Home Harry Dempsey 1991 Curly Sue Frank Arnold Uncredited 1994 Little Big League Mac Macnally Trapped in Paradise Ed Dawson 1995 In the Living Years Mike Donahue Hidden Assassin Alex Reed 1996 For Which He Stands District Attorney Fast Money Lt. Diego 1998 Meet the Deedles Captain Douglas Pine My Uncle Sidney Uncle Sidney Short 1999 Instinct Guard Dacks Avalanche Kemp AKA Escape from Alaska 2001 Bill's Gun Shop Bill Voight 2006 Sweet Deadly Dreams Harry 2007 Gone Baby Gone Detective Nick Poole 2009 Middle Men Morgan 2015 Uncle John John 2016 The Neighborhood Matt Kravinsky 2018 The Joke Thief Joseph Rogers (Reporter) 2019 The Last Big Save Joseph Bird Sr. Making a Deal with the Devil FBI Director My Little Baby Sheriff Johnson American Christmas Rob Once Upon a River Smoke 2020 Death in Texas Asher 2024 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Chief John Taggart All Happy Families Roy Landry Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2 Judge Nathan Rivers Completed; posthumous release Hot Bath, Stiff Drink, an' a Close Shave Post-production; posthumous release

Television Year Title Role Notes 1974 Kojak Cullen Episode: "Mojo" Emergency! Station Wagon Driver Episode: "Gossip" Uncredited Columbo Calvin MacGruder Episode: "Negative Reaction" 1975 My Father's House Sergeant Television film 1976 Phyllis Taxpayer Episode: "You're Not Getting Better, Just Older" Police Story Sgt. Paulson Episode: "The other Side of the Badge" Barnaby Jones Lester Shiller Episode: "Fraternity of Thieves" 1977 Police Woman Curt Thomas Episode: "Once a Snitch" Wonder Woman Nazi Henchman (uncredited) Episode: "Formula 407" Code R Karl Episode: "A Federal Case" The Rhinemann Exchange Ballentyne Miniseries M*A*S*H The M.P. Episode: "Last Laugh" Starsky & Hutch Paul H. Willits Episode: "The Committee" 1978 The Wilds of Ten Thousand Islands Orville Television film Starsky & Hutch Roy Sears Episode: "The Groupie" Lawman Without a Gun 1st State Trooper Television film Carter Country Guardsman #1 Episode: "Hurricane Jasper" 1978–1979 Dallas Willie Joe Garr Recurring role (6 episodes) 1980–1981 Breaking Away Roy Episodes: "The Cutters", "La Strada" 1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Jake Television film 1982 Police Squad! Rocky Episode: "Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)" 1985 The A-Team Cactus Jack Slater Episode: "Cup A' Joe" A Death in California Detective Bob Swalwell Miniseries The Twilight Zone Crew Chief Brady Simmons (segment "Chameleon") Episode: "Wordplay/Dreams for Sale/Chameleon" 1986 The Deliberate Stranger Detective Roger Dunn Miniseries Hardcastle and McCormick Leonard Porter Episode: "A Chip Off the Ol' Milt" Brothers Agent Harris Episode: "The Gang Who Could Shoot Straight" 1989 I Know My First Name Is Steven Del Stayner Miniseries 1989–1990 Hardball Charlie Battles Main role (18 episodes) 1990 The Tracey Ullman Show Jimmy, neighborly doorman Episode: "Who Is He?" 1991 Love, Lies and Murder Carrothers Miniseries Saturday's George Television film 1992 Dirty Work Eddie 1993 The Tommyknockers Trooper Butch Dugan Miniseries 1996 JAG Agent Brian Turque Episode: "Skeleton Crew" 1997 Little Girls in Pretty Boxes Peter Bryant Television film 1998 The Day Lincoln Was Shot Ulysses S. Grant King of the Hill Instructor Voice, episode: "Pregnant Paws" 1999 Fantasy Island Bobby Episode: "Heroes" 2001 Judging Amy Dashiel Purdue Episode: "Everybody Falls Down" Going to California Victor Episode: "Apocalypse Cow" 2002 Body & Soul Jordan Meadows Episode: "Saviors" 2003 Family Martin Miniseries 2005 Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part Richie Parsons Television film 2007 Reign of the Gargoyles Commander Latham 2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Chief of Detectives Episode: "Baggage" 2011 Fairly Legal Lou Fisher Episode: "Bo Me Once" 2012 The Finder Franklin Sherman Episode: "The Boy with the Bucket"