“His legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come.”
Ashton is perhaps most recognizable for his portrayal of Sgt.
John Taggart, the gruff, by-the-books police officer paired withEddie Murphys Axel Foley in theBeverly Hills Copfranchise.
John Ashton at the ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ world premiere.Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Taggart, admitting that he wasn’t initially thrilled about being recognized for his part in the 1984 original.
“I walk down the street and people go, ‘Hey Taggart!
“I said, ‘Well, you know, I’ve done more things than just Taggart.’
John Ashton and Eddie Murphy in ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’.Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix
As the years have gone on, I kind of really enjoy it now.
ForEWs 2019 oral history of the film, Ashton spoke fondly of working with his onscreen son.
“He never called me John.
He always called me Pop,” he recalled.
“The whole time we were shooting, even off camera.
We’d go to lunch and he’d call me Pop.
When we finished our last scene, we went and had lunch and he called me John.”
Ashton would later reunite with Hughes for the writer-director’s 1988 romantic comedy,Shes Having a Baby.
That same year, he starred oppositeRobert De NiroinMidnight Runas the rival bounty hunter of De Niro’s character.
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