John Ashton
Actor
Born February 22, 1948 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
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 Cop series, Ashton appeared in a wide range of films and TV shows throughout his career. His notable film appearances include Midnight Run (1988) alongside Robert De Niro, where he portrayed a bounty hunter named Marvin Dorfler. On television, Ashton has made guest appearances on popular series such as Columbo, MASH, and The A-Team.
Filmography
Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2
Judge Nathan Rivers
All Happy Families
Roy Landry
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Chief John Taggart
BRATS
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lonesome Soldier
Macroberts
Death in Texas
Asher
American Christmas
Rob
Making a Deal with the Devil
FBI Director
The Last Big Save
Joseph Bird Sr.
Once Upon a River
The Joke Thief
Joseph Rogers
Uncle John
Uncle John
The Finder
Franklin Sherman
Fairly Legal
Lou Fisher
A Letter to Dad
Mike Donahue
Middle Men
Morgan
Gone Baby Gone
Nick Poole
Reign of the Gargoyles
Commander Latham
Bill's Gun Shop
Bill Voight
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Alan Fewkes
Judging Amy
Dashiel Purdue
Escape from Alaska
Kemp
Instinct
Guard Dacks
Fantasy Island
Bobby
The Day Lincoln Was Shot
Ulysses S. Grant
Meet the Deedles
Capt. Douglas Pine
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
Peter Bryant
King of the Hill
Instructor (voice)
Fast Money
Lt. Diego
For Which He Stands
District Attorney
The Shooter
Alex Reed
Condition Red
Deputy Warden
JAG
Brian Turque
Trapped in Paradise
Ed Dawson
Little Big League
Mac MacNally
The Tommyknockers
Butch Duggan
A Touch of Frost
Ridley
Dirty Work
Eddie Ryan
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Curly Sue
Frank Arnold
Love, Lies and Murder
Carrothers
I Want to Go Home
Harry Dempsey
Hardball
Charlie Battles
I Know My First Name Is Steven
Del Stayner
Midnight Run
Marvin Dorfler, Headhunter
She's Having a Baby
Ken
Beverly Hills Cop II
John Taggart
Some Kind of Wonderful
Cliff Nelson
King Kong Lives
Lt. Col. R.T. Nevitt
The Deliberate Stranger
Det. Roger Dunn
The Deliberate Stranger
Det. Roger Dunn
Last Resort
Phil Cocoran
The Twilight Zone
Chief Brady Simmons (segment "Chameleon")
A Death in California
Bob Swalwell
Beverly Hills Cop
Sgt. Taggart
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Highway Patrolman
Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link
Cash Hunt
The A-Team
Cactus Jack Slater
Police Squad!
Honky Tonk Freeway
Otto Kemper
Elvis and the Beauty Queen
Jake
Borderline
Charlie Monroe
Lawman Without a Gun
1st State Trooper
Breaking Away
Mike's Brother
Dallas
Willie Joe Garr
Oh, God!
Police Officer (uncredited)
Code R
Karl
Cat Murkil and the Silks
Coach Larkin
Starsky & Hutch
My Father's House
Sergeant
Psycho Sisters
Brock
Kojak
Cullen
An Eye for an Eye
Sgt. Matthews
Police Story
M*A*S*H
Columbo
Calvin MacGruder
Today
Self