John Ashton (actor)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with John Astin.
John Ashton
Ashton in 2006
Born
John David Ashton

(1948-02-22) February 22, 1948 (age 76)
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1973–present
Spouses
Victoria Marie Runn
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1970)​
Bridget Alison Baker
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 2001)​
Children2
Websitewww.johnashton.com

John David Ashton (born February 22, 1948) is an American actor, known for his roles in Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II, Some Kind of Wonderful and Midnight Run.

Life and career

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton attended Defiance College in Ohio and is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre.[1] He attended Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut.

Ashton has 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 trilogy, 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 has 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.[2] He guest-starred opposite Beverly Hills Cop co-star Ronny Cox in an episode of Matthew Perry's 2011 series, Mr Sunshine.[2]

Personal life

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. Ashton has two children, one by each of his ex-wives. He has a daughter from his first marriage. He currently resides in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Psychopath
or An Eye for an Eye 		Sgt. Matthews As John D. Ashton
1974 So Evil, My Sister Brock
1976 Cat Murkil and the Silks Coach Larkin
1977 Oh, God! Police Officer Uncredited
1980 Breaking Away Mike's Brother
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
1984 Beverly Hills Cop Sgt. John Taggart
1984 Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link Cash Hunt Video short
1986 Last Resort Phil Cocoran
1986 King Kong Lives Lt. Col. R. T. Nevitt
1987 Some Kind of Wonderful Cliff Nelson
1987 Beverly Hills Cop II Sgt. John Taggart
1988 She's Having a Baby Ken
1988 Midnight Run Marvin Dorfler
1989 I Want to Go Home Harry Dempsey
1991 Curly Sue Frank Arnold Uncredited
1994 Little Big League Mac Macnally
1994 Trapped in Paradise Ed Dawson
1995 In the Living Years Mike Donahue
1995 Hidden Assassin Alex Reed
1996 For Which He Stands District Attorney
1996 Fast Money Lt. Diego
1998 Meet the Deedles Captain Douglas Pine
1998 My Uncle Sidney Uncle Sidney Short
1999 Instinct Guard Dacks
1999 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.
2019 Making a Deal with the Devil FBI Director
2019 My Little Baby Sheriff Johnson
2019 American Christmas Rob
2019 Once Upon a River Smoke
2020 Death in Texas Asher
202? Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2 Judge Nathan Rivers Completed
202? Hot Bath, Stiff Drink, an' a Close Shave Judge Nathan Rivers Post-production
2024 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Sgt. John Taggart Post-production[3]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Kojak Cullen Episode: "Mojo"
1974 Emergency! Station Wagon Driver Episode: "Gossip" Uncredited
1974 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"
1976 Police Story Sgt. Paulson Episode: "The other Side of the Badge"
1976 Barnaby Jones Lester Shiller Episode: "Fraternity of Thieves"
1977 Police Woman Curt Thomas Episode: "Once a Snitch"
1977 Wonder Woman Nazi Henchman (uncredited) Episode: "Formula 407"
1977 Code R Karl Episode: "A Federal Case"
1977 The Rhinemann Exchange Ballentyne Miniseries
1977 M*A*S*H The M.P. Episode: "Last Laugh"
1977 Starsky & Hutch Paul H. Willits Episode: "The Committee"
1978 The Wilds of Ten Thousand Islands Orville Television film
1978 Starsky & Hutch Roy Sears Episode: "The Groupie"
1978 Lawman Without a Gun 1st State Trooper Television film
1978 Carter Country Guardsman #1 Episode: "Hurrican 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"
1985 A Death in California Detective Bob Swalwell Miniseries
1985 The Twilight Zone Crew Chief Brady Simmons (segment "Chameleon") Episode: "Wordplay/Dreams for Sale/Chameleon"
1986 The Deliberate Stranger Detective Roger Dunn Miniseries
1986 Hardcastle and McCormick Leonard Porter Episode: "A Chip Off the Ol' Milt"
1986 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
1991 Saturday's George Television film
1992 Dirty Work Eddie Television film
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 Television film
1998 King of the Hill Instructor Voice, episode: "Pregnant Paws"
1999 Fantasy Island Bobby Episode: "Heroes"
2001 Judging Amy Dashiel Purdue Episode: "Everybody Falls Down"
2001 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 Television film
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"

References

  1. ^ Buchanan, Jason. "John Ashton film biography". AllRovi. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "The Official Website of the Actor". American Actor John Ashton. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  3. ^ Simpson, K.T (August 31, 2022). "John Ashton is back as Taggart for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F". MovieHole. Retrieved September 3, 2022.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Ashton_(actor)&oldid=1215435195"