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Actor John Ashton, best known for his role as Chief John Taggart in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, has died. He was 76 years old.

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John Ashton, known for his role as John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colo., his manager Alan Somers confirmed to Variety. He was 76.

Ashton played Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, released in 1984 and 1987, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He reprised his role in 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which his character is now a police chief.

Ashton’s career was more prolific than the three ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ installments and included ‘An Eye for an Eye’ (1973), an uncredited role in the George Burns film ‘Oh, God!’ (1977), ‘Borderline’ (1980), ‘Midnight Run’ (1988), ‘Little Big League’ (1994), ‘Gone Baby Gone’ (2007), and ‘All Happy Families’ (2023). He also made guest appearances on several television shows including ‘M*A*S*H’, ‘Law & Order: SVU’, ‘King of the Hill’, and ‘Police Squad!’

The last installment of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ released July 3.

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+1000 for the tailpipe banana reference.

From ‘Midnight Run’ with Robert De Niro.

He died following a battle with cancer.

He has over 200 stage, film, and television credits to his name.

You can see it in this scene.

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The short interview in this post is worth a listen.

Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, his children Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton, stepchildren Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio and Ashley Hoye, and a grandson named Henry.

Our sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones.