John Ashton

• Name — John Ashton • Birth Name — John David Ashton • Born — 22 February 1948 • Birthplace — Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. • Died — 26 September 2024 • Place of death — Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1973–2024 • Children — 2 • Website — http: www.johnashton.com/

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.

Ashton married his first wife Victoria Marie Runn in 1968; they divorced in 1970. He married his second wife Bridget Baker-Ashton in 1976; they divorced in 2001. He married his third wife, Robin Hoye, in 2002. Ashton had a daughter from his first marriage and a son from his second marriage. Ashton had three step-children from his third marriage. On September 26, 2024, Ashton died from cancer in Fort Collins, Colorado, at the age of 76, two months after the release of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which turned out to be one of his final films. Three months after his death, one of his films, Beverly Hills Cop, was inducted into Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

Source:

• 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"

John Ashton is recorded as actor.

Place of death recorded as Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as recorded by Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (GND).