John Ashton was a classic working actor who took some jobs to keep the lights on but, when given a chance, would stumble into a role that showcased his terrific acting. Balding, a bit rotund, and with a legit edge, Ashton is the kind of actor that if you were to pass on the street, you might assume he was a factory worker of some sort. That characterization is not intended as an offense to those working in factories. My dad was a factory foreman for most of his working life, and there were few men I respected more. It’s just to say that there was nothing Hollywood about the Boston-born Ashton. Come to think of it, I think he and my dad would have gotten along quite well.
Ashton’s story as a supporting actor is, in some ways, very common: There were many guest spots on episodic television and minor roles in film. Over his 50-plus-year career, Ashton popped up on screens large and small 93 times. There were only a handful of occasions when Ashton could truly show off his formidable chops, but when given the opportunity, he did not miss. That first chance came in 1984, over a decade after Ashton debuted on-screen in the smash hit Eddie Murphy action-comedy Beverly Hills Cop. As Sgt. Taggart, Ashton was the rule-following thorn in the side of Murphy’s character (Axel Foley). Over time, though, Murphy’s fish-out-of-water Detroit cop wins over Taggart and his partner Billy (a very funny Judge Rheinhold). The three actors form a very odd couple, but the chemistry between the trio is off all charts. Ashton’s gruff demeanor, Rheinhold’s conciliatory nature, and Murphy’s comedic genius play off each other so perfectly that they carry home a pretty thin script (originally intended foe Sylvester Stallone to star in–the mind reels) and elevate the movie to iconic status.
1987 would prove to be an excellent year for Ashton. He reprised his role as Sgt. Taggart in the commercially successful (if not quite as funny) Beverly Hills Cop 2. Better yet was his performance in the underrated John Hughes-produced teen flick Some Kind of Wonderful, where Ashton plays Eric Stoltz’s tough–but ultimately tender–dad. In just a handful of scenes, Ashton made his mark as a working-class father who wants the best for his lovestruck son, even if the manner in which he shows it doesn’t always come across with obvious intent.
The very next year, Ashton would appear in the best film of his entire career, Midnight Run. In Midnight Run (directed by Beverly Hills Cop helmer Martin Brest), Ashton plays bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler, a rival to the film’s star Robert DeNiro (in one of his best comedic performances). The story of how Ashton got the role is a good one. As Brest and company were looking for an actor to go toe to toe, they screen-tested several actors, all of whom were too deferential to DeNiro (even while in character). Ashton was the other kind. At one point during the test scene between DeNiro and Ashton, DeNiro ad-libbed by tossing an object on the floor that was written to be handed to Ashton. Ashton looked down to the ground, raised his head, and said to DeNiro, “Go fuck yourself.” After Ashton left the audition, DeNiro turned to Brest and said, “That’s our guy.”
While Ashton continued grinding away for years after Midnight Run, it would almost be two full decades before he was seen again in a project worthy of his gifts: 2007’s Gone Baby Gone. Directed by fellow Bostonian Ben Affleck (and based on the novel by another Bostonian Dennis LeHane), the grim tale of a missing child is likely remembered best for making Affleck’s younger brother Casey a star and for the Oscar-nominated supporting performance of Amy Ryan, as the mother who may like the attention of her missing daughter more than she actually misses the daughter. Ben Affleck wisely chose to surround his directorial debut with great actors so he could focus on bringing his first film home. Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, Michael K. Williams, Titus Welliver, Ryan, Ed Harris as a detective, and Ashton as Harris’ partner (this film could be exhibit A as to why casting directors deserve Oscars). I recall an interview from the time the film was released where Ben Affleck referenced the casting of Ashton and said something to the effect of wanting him in the movie just because he always liked him so much. That turned out to be a fine choice, as Ashton and Harris seem like long-time partners from the first second they are seen in the film.
Unfortunately, despite the film receiving terrific reviews and, once again, Ashton doing excellent work, Gone Baby Gone did not give Ashton the late-career boost he deserved. However, in a surprise that most of us could not have anticipated, this year, Ashton was seen in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, a movie far better than anyone could have expected after the brutally awful Beverly Hills Cop 3 from 1994 (which Ashton did not appear in, and all of us who are fans of the franchise pretend never happened, much like us Rocky fans dismiss the existence of Rocky V). Axel F may not have been a cinematic achievement of epic proportions, but it was a really good time, and Ashton (now playing Chief Taggart) was as reliable as ever in what turned out to be his final film appearance.
Ashton’s life on screen came full circle with Axel F by playing Taggart a third time. While the original Beverly Hills Cop was nowhere near Ashton’s first appearance on film or television, it will always be the role he is most known for.
That being said, I really love that “Go fuck yourself” story from Midnight Run. Ashton was as no bullshit as they come. Even in the face of Robert DeNiro. How can you not respect that?
John Ashton died on September 26, 2024. He was 76 years old.
