Popular Eddie Murphy Co-star Dead at 76

One of America’s favorite character actors passed away recently.

John Ashton, who most would recognize for his role as Detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, has passed away.

He was 76 years old.

He’s Gone

Ashton reportedly died last Thursday at his home in Colorado.

His family announced his death, but they did not reveal a cause of death in the announcement.

Ashton started acting in 1973 and quickly found his work docket loaded with requests.

He started out doing TV shows, then had a great run doing TV and big-screen movies.

By the late 1970s, he was getting steady work, including the first time I saw him on TV in an episode of “M*A*S*H” in 1977.

He again fell back on TV shows, even getting a recurring role in “Dallas,” featured in six episodes.

Then came the big break, playing Sergeant Taggart with Eddie Murphy in 1984.

That performance put him on everyone’s radar, which eventually landed to a co-star role in a Robert De Niro movie, “Midnight Run,” in 1988.

On auditioning for that role, Ashton stated, “Bobby started handing me these matches, and I went to grab the matches, and he threw them on the floor and stared at me.

“I looked at the matches, and I looked up, and I said, ‘F—- you,’ and he said, ‘F—- you, too.’ I said, ‘Go —- yourself.’

“I know every other actor picked those up and handed it to him, and I found out as soon as I left he went, ‘I want him,’ because he wanted somebody to stand up to him.”

He stayed busy for the rest of his career, virtually right up to his death.

Fittingly, his last credited role is another BHC film, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” now promoted to Police Chief.

If you want to see his performance, however, it will not be on the big screen, as this is a Netflix movie.

Rest in peace, sir, and thanks for all the laughs.