John Ashton Dies: ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ & ‘Midnight Run’ Actor Was 76

John Ashton, the actor known for playing Sgt. John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop films, has died. He was 76.

Following a battle with cancer, a rep for Ashton tells Deadline that the Some Kind of Wonderful the actor died “peacefully” on Thursday in Ft. Collins, Colorado.

“John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” reads a statement shared by the rep.

After first portraying Sgt. Taggart in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold, Ashton returned for the 1987 sequel and most recently reprised the role for Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

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