What did John Ashton do?

American actor John Ashtoni is known for the award-winning, “Breaking Away”, “She’s Having a Baby”, “Some Kind of Wonderful”, and “Little Big League”, and “Instinct” with Sir Anthony Hopkins.

However, his most well-known hit films are “Beverly Hills Cop”, I and II, as Sgt John Taggart.

Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his manager Alan Somers confirmed to Variety. He was 76.

The actor played Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two of the “Beverly Hills Cop”. The films were released in 1984 and 1987.

His role was reprised in 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which his character was a police chief.

Ashton performed in more than 200 stage, film, and television productions in his over 50-year illustrious career.

His first professional acting role was in the premier production of “Othello” at the Hartford Stage Company when he was a young man.

Later, he went on to perform in summer stock on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, starring in “The Gazebo” and “Dark at the Top of the Stairs”.

In a few years, Ashton was touring Europe with the USA Festival Theater Tour performing in Cambridge, London, Germany, and Edinburgh Arts Festival in Scotland.

His early film “An Eye for an Eye” was released in 1973 while “So Evil, My Sister” in 1974, “Cat Murkil and the Silks” in 1976, “Breaking Away” in 1979, “Honky Tonk Freeway” in 1981 and Borderline” in 1980.

He guest starred on several television shows during the 1970s, including “M*A*S*H*”, “Police Woman,” “Starsky and Hutch”, “Dallas”, “Columbo”, “Emergency!”,  “Barnaby Jones”, and “Police Story”.

John David Ashton was born to Edward Richard Ashton Sr and Eva May (Wells) Ashton on February 22, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Ashton graduated from Enfield High School. After going to Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, for two years, Ashton transferred to the University of Southern California and graduated with a BA in theatre arts.

He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye and two children, three step-children, grandson, sisters and a brother.