How much was John Ashton worth? Beverly Hills Cop star's career explored as he dies aged 76

John Ashton, who gained recognition for his appearances as Sgt. John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop movies, died on September 26, 2024, at the age of 76. According to People magazine, his manager disclosed in an obituary that Ashton was suffering from cancer, leading to his demise.

Ashton portrayed important roles in various other projects throughout his career, including King Kong Lives and The Deliberate Stranger. His net worth was $3 million, as per Crix11.

John Ashton's family hasn'y shared any statement regarding his death on any platform so far. However, a celebration of his life is being reportedly planned and for now, fans can send donations in his memory to the Pathways Hospice Care in Colorado. John's representative Alan Somers spoke to Page Six:

"John's impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come."

Notably, John Ashton reprised his role in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F this year. He told CBR in an interview that he was initially worried about whether people would recognize him. However, he met a few fans of the franchise who started calling him by the character's name on a few occasions.

"I said, 'Well, you know, I've done more things than just Taggart.' As the years have gone on, I kind of really enjoy it now. There's not too many actors that can put a stamp on a role that will be with them for eternity, so I take that as an honor now."

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John Ashton appeared in various films and TV shows over the years: Career and other details explained

Also known as John David Ashton, he enrolled at the University of Southern California and had a very normal childhood without any problems. He told MovieJunk in 2020 that his mother once wanted to send him to a military school, as he always created trouble for her.

However, things changed for John Ashton when he developed an interest in acting and made his debut on stage. He soon expanded his career to films and television and featured on projects like So Evil, My Sister, Breaking Away and Borderline.

Ashton eventually accumulated a huge fanbase for his performance as Sgt. John Taggart in Beverly Hills Cop, starting from 1984. The action comedy was successful, leading to three more sequels, with the latest one released this year.

He also appeared in Robert De Niro's film Midnight Run. Speaking to Collider in July 2024, John recalled how he got the role, saying that he once went to watch a play featuring Joey Pantolaino in Los Angeles.

John was then approached by another actor and a friend, Alan Vint, who told him that he was doing Midnight Run. John said:

"And I go, 'I don't know, I never heard about it.' And, of course, I had my Cracker Jack agent, but, you know. So he said, 'You're perfect man.'

"Then I found out Marty Brest was directing it, who directed the first Cop, so I called Marty, and I said, 'Hey, Marty, what's the deal with Midnight Run?' He goes, 'Oh, you'd be great in it.'"

Coming to his television career, John Ashton played Charlie Battles in 18 episodes of the show, Hardball. He also portrayed Willie Joe Garr in the popular soap opera, Dallas.

Ashton had many other films in his credits over the years, such as She's Having a Baby, Little Big League, Avalanche, Uncle John and Once Upon a River. He continued making minor appearances in TV shows like Wonder Woman, Breaking Away, The Twilight Zone and Little Girls in Pretty Boxes.