John Ashton dead at 76: Beverly Hills Cop star passes away after cancer battle

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/usshowbiz/article-13904685/john-ashton-dead-beverly-hills-cop-cancer-battle.html

By Kelly Garino For Dailymail.Com

Beverly Hills Cop star, John David Ashton, has died peacefully at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.

He died at his home in Ft. Collins, Colorado, on Thursday, TMZ reported.

'John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him,' the actor's rep Alan Somers told the outlet.

John's impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.'

The actor's family has requested donations to be made to Pathways Hospice Care center in his memory rather than flowers.

The fan-favorite Hollywood actor enthralled the country for 50 years - appearing in more than 200 films, TV and stage productions throughout his career.

He quickly became a household name after his most notable and nostalgic movie, 1984s Beverly Hills Cop, where he worked alongside Eddie Murphy.

Out of four Beverly Hills Cop movies, Ashton appeared in three of them - including the most recent one which was released on Netflix in July of this year.

The sequel received an outpour of positive reviews from fans and critics, with some even voicing that it may have been one of the best sequels to date.

'I thought Beverly Hills Cop 4 Axel F was amazing. To see Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold and John Ashton, all the gang back together, was fantastic for me as I grew up on Beverly Hills Cop films. This film did not disappoint at all,' said one review.

Ashton was particularly known for his role in the franchise as Detective Sergeant John Taggart - a by-the-book detective who acted as the straight-and-narrow man for Murphy's character, Axel Foley, and all of his antics.

The Springfield, Massachusetts, native starred alongside Robert DeNiro in another hit film, Midnight Run, where he played the character Marvin Dorfler - a bounty hunter that rivaled another fellow bounty hunter played by DeNiro.

Ashton studied at the University of Southern California before he received a BA degree in Theater Arts.

His first professional acting role was the premiere production of Othello at the Hartford Stage Company at a young age and began touring Europe with the USA Festival Theater Tour just a few years later - performing in 15 different productions in repertory, according to IMDB.

After branching out into the world of television, he guest-starred in multiple hit shows - including Law and Order SVU, Police Squad and Police Story.

His most recent critically acclaimed film was Once Upon A River which earned him the LA Method Fest award for Best Supporting Actor.

Taken from his high school drama teacher, his motto was always: 'Think big, work hard, have a dream and make a difference,' IMDB added.