Biography
Memorably portraying gruff authority figures in such features as
Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and
King Kong Lives (1986), longtime character actor John Ashton possesses just the sort of rough-around-the-edges, grating quality that viewers love to hate. A native of Springfield, MA, who graduated from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Ashton got his start onscreen with a supporting role in the 1973 thriller
The Psychopath, a role that served to define his future career path in cinematic law enforcement. Small-screen roles in
Kojak and
Police Story only served to reinforce this path, and in 1978 Ashton became a familiar face to television viewers when he joined the cast of the prime-time hit
Dallas. Continuing to alternate between television and film into the following decade, the 1980s proved a lucrative period for Ashton as roles in
Honky Tonk Freeway (1981),
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984),
Beverly Hills Cop (as well as its sequel), and
Midnight Run (1988) found him toying with his haggard image to the amusement of movie lovers worldwide. Though not as prominent onscreen in the 1990s, Ashton averaged about two films a year with roles in
The Tommyknockers (1993),
Trapped in Paradise (1994), and
Meet the Deedles (1998), culminating with an impressive performance as the eponymous character in the 2001 thriller
Bill's Gun Shop, which proved once and for all that his edge was still very much intact. His performance was so impressive, in fact, that he was subsequently cast in the lead of the 2002 drama Sweet Deadly Dreams. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide