NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the , has died. He was 76.
Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton's manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available.
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ashton was a regular face across TV series and films, including "Midnight Run,鈥� 鈥淟ittle Big League鈥� and 鈥淕one Baby Gone.鈥�
But in the 鈥淏everly Hills Cop鈥� films, Ashton played an essential part of an indelible trio. Though Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley, a Detroit detective following a case in Los Angeles, was the lead, the two local detectives 鈥� Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Ashton's Taggart 鈥� were Axel's sometimes reluctant, sometimes eager collaborators.
Of the three, Taggart 鈥� 鈥淪arge鈥� to Billy 鈥� was the more fearful, by-the-book detective. But he would regularly be coaxed into Axel's plans. Ashton co-starred in the first two films, beginning with the 1984 original, and returned for the the Netflix reboot, 鈥淏everly Hills Cop: Axel F," released earlier this year.
Ashton played a more unscrupulous character in Martin Brest's 1988 buddy comedy 鈥淢idnight Run.鈥� He was the rival bounty hunter also pursuing Charles Grodin's wanted accountant in 鈥淭he Duke" while he's in the custody of Robert De Niro's Jack Walsh.
Speaking , Ashton recalled auditioning with De Niro.
鈥淏obby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,鈥� said Ashton. 鈥淚 looked at the matches, and I looked up, and I said, 鈥楩鈥�- you,鈥� and he said, 鈥楩鈥�- you, too.鈥� I said, 鈥楪o 鈥�- yourself.鈥� I know every other actor picked those up and handed it to him, and I found out as soon as I left he went, 鈥業 want him,鈥� because he wanted somebody to stand up to him.鈥�
Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, of 24 years, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.
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This story has been updated to correct that Ashton starred in three of the 鈥淏everly Hills Cop鈥� films, not all four.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
