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“Beverly Hills Cop” actor Taggart was 76 years old

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“Beverly Hills Cop” actor Taggart was 76 years old

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John Ashton, the actor best known for his role as John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” film series, has died. He was 76.

Ashton “passed away peacefully” on Sept. 26 in Colorado, according to an obituary sent to USA TODAY by a representative for the actor. A cause of death was not given.

“John was a loving husband, brother, father and grandfather who will be sadly missed by all who knew him,” the obituary reads. His “memory will forever be cherished by his wife, his children, his grandchildren, as well as his brother, his sisters, his extended family and all who loved him.”

Ashton played police officer John Taggart opposite Eddie Murphy in the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, starting with the original 1984 action comedy. He returned for the sequel “Beverly Hills Cop II” and reprized the role again in this year's Netflix -Sequel to “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.”

Ashton starred in the 1988 action comedy Midnight Run as rival bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler alongside Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin.

Ashton was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and grew up in Enfield, Connecticut. He studied theater at the University of Southern California and began acting in the 1970s. His other notable films included King Kong Lives (1986), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), She's Getting a Baby (1988) and Gone Baby Gone (2007).

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On television, Ashton appeared in episodes of a variety of classic series such as “Columbo,” “M*A*S*H,” “Dallas,” “The A-Team,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Fantasy.” Island” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Speaking to USA TODAY this year, Murphy celebrated the fact that much of the cast of the original “Beverly Hills Cop” returned for the new film “Axel F,” including Ashton, who was absent from “Beverly Hills Cop III.”

Cast of the original Beverly Hills Cop film. is back for “Axel F”: Where were they?

“We had done three 'Beverly Hills Cop' movies, but the third one is a little soft compared to the other two, and that's because we don't have all the people from the original,” Murphy said. “Now we're back with John as Taggart, we've got Paul (Reiser), we've got Bronson (Pinchot), you just needed all the ingredients that were in the first picture.”

Appearing on the “Today” show earlier this year alongside his co-stars Murphy and Judge Reinhold, Ashton said reprising his role in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” was “surreal.”

“I remember one of the crew helped me out of the car and said, 'Man, seeing you three in the car again just gave me goosebumps,'” he said.

Contributor: Marco della CavA

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