John Ashton, the actor who reached a career peak as Detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills cop film franchise, died Friday at his home in Fort Collins, Colorado after a battle with cancer. He was 76.

Born February 22, 1948 in Springfield, Massachusetts, includes early film credits of John Ashton An eye for an eye (1973), Break away (1979), Boundary line (1980), Honky Tonk Highway (1981), and Last resort And King King lives, both in 1986.

Ashton made his bow on television in episodes of dramas Kojak, Emergency! And Columbus in 1974, building his acting resume with subsequent appearances on series such as Phyllis, Police Story, Barnaby Jones, Police woman, Wonder Woman, MAKEAnd Starsky and Hutch. In 1978, Ashton made the first of six appearances as Willie Joe Garr Dallas. And in 1984 he became famous in the original Beverly Hills Cop movie opposite Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold.

Ashton later starred in three of the four others Beverly Hills cop films, most recently in Beverly Hills agent: Axel Fthe sequel that appeared on Netflix last summer.

Previously, he had a regularly scheduled role in the crime drama Hardballaired in the 1989-1990 TV season.

Ashton’s other film roles included Kind of miraculous (1987), Midnight run (1988), I want to go home (1989), Little big competition (1984), In the living years (1994), Hidden killer (1995), What he stands for (1996), Meet the Deedles (1998), Instinct (1999), Sweet deadly dreams (2006), Middle men (2009) and Uncle Johannes (2015).

Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye; children Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton; stepchildren Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio and Ashley Hoye; grandson Henry; sisters Sharon Ann Ashton and Linda Jean Ashton; and brother Edward Richard Ashton.