John Ashton
Acting
77
Acting Credits
Biography
John David Ashton (February 22, 1948 – September 26, 2024) was an American actor best known for his role as Sergeant John Taggart in the hit action-comedy films Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2025) where he played alongside Eddie Murphy. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton developed a passion for acting early in life, later attending the University of Southern California's School of Theatre. Beyond his iconic role in the Beverly Hills...
Known For
Filmography
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
2024
as Chief John Taggart
All Happy Families
2024
as Roy Landry
BRATS
2024
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lonesome Soldier
2023
as Macroberts
Death in Texas
2022
as Asher
Making a Deal with the Devil
2019
as FBI Director
The Last Big Save
2019
as Joseph Bird Sr.
Once Upon a River
2019
American Christmas
2019
as Rob
The Joke Thief
2018
as Joseph Rogers
Uncle John
2015
as Uncle John
The Finder
2012
as Franklin Sherman
Fairly Legal
2011
as Lou Fisher
Middle Men
2009
as Morgan
A Letter to Dad
2009
as Mike Donahue
Gone Baby Gone
2007
as Nick Poole
Reign of the Gargoyles
2007
as Commander Latham
Bill's Gun Shop
2001
as Bill Voight
Escape from Alaska
1999
as Kemp
Instinct
1999
as Guard Dacks
Judging Amy
1999
as Dashiel Purdue
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Alan Fewkes
Meet the Deedles
1998
as Capt. Douglas Pine
The Day Lincoln Was Shot
1998
as Ulysses S. Grant
Fantasy Island
1998
as Bobby
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
1997
as Peter Bryant
King of the Hill
1997
as Instructor (voice)
Fast Money
1996
as Lt. Diego
For Which He Stands
1996
as District Attorney
The Shooter
1995
as Alex Reed
Condition Red
1995
as Deputy Warden
JAG
1995
as Brian Turque
Little Big League
1994
as Mac MacNally
Trapped in Paradise
1994
as Ed Dawson
The Tommyknockers
1993
as Butch Duggan
Dirty Work
1992
as Eddie Ryan
A Touch of Frost
1992
as Ridley
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Curly Sue
1991
as Frank Arnold
Love, Lies and Murder
1991
as Carrothers
I Want to Go Home
1989
as Harry Dempsey
Hardball
1989
as Charlie Battles
I Know My First Name Is Steven
1989
as Del Stayner
Midnight Run
1988
as Marvin Dorfler, Headhunter
She's Having a Baby
1988
as Ken
Beverly Hills Cop II
1987
as John Taggart
Some Kind of Wonderful
1987
as Cliff Nelson
King Kong Lives
1986
as Lt. Col. R.T. Nevitt
The Deliberate Stranger
1986
as Det. Roger Dunn
Last Resort
1986
as Phil Cocoran
The Deliberate Stranger
1986
as Det. Roger Dunn
A Death in California
1985
as Bob Swalwell
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Chief Brady Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
Beverly Hills Cop
1984
as Sgt. Taggart
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984
as Highway Patrolman
Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link
1984
as Cash Hunt
The A-Team
1983
as Cactus Jack Slater
Police Squad!
1982
Elvis and the Beauty Queen
1981
as Jake
Honky Tonk Freeway
1981
as Otto Kemper
Borderline
1980
as Charlie Monroe
Lawman Without a Gun
1979
as 1st State Trooper
Breaking Away
1979
as Mike's Brother
The Wilds of Ten Thousand Islands
1978
as Orville
Dallas
1978
as Willie Joe Garr
Oh, God!
1977
as Police Officer (uncredited)
Code R
1977
as Karl
Cat Murkil and the Silks
1976
as Coach Larkin
My Father's House
1975
as Sergeant
Starsky & Hutch
1975
Psycho Sisters
1974
as Brock
An Eye for an Eye
1973
as Sgt. Matthews
Kojak
1973
as Cullen
Police Story
1973
M*A*S*H
1972
Columbo
1971
as Calvin MacGruder
Today
1952
as Self