John Saxon

Born: 1935-08-05 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Died: 2020-07-25

Known For: Acting

Biography

John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1935 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor and martial artist who worked on more than 200 projects during a span of 60 years. Saxon is known for his work in Westerns and horror movies, often playing police officers and detectives. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Saxon studied acting with Stella Adler before beginning his career as a contract actor for Universal Pictures, playing in such movies as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in Black (1961). During the 1970s and 1980s, he established himself as a character actor, frequently portraying law enforcement officials in horror movies such as Black Christmas (1974), Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). In addition to his roles in horror movies, Saxon co-starred with Bruce Lee in the martial arts movie Enter the Dragon (1973), and has supporting roles in the westerns Death of a Gunfighter (1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), as well as the adventure thriller Raid on Entebbe (1977). In the 1990s, Saxon occasionally appeared in movies, with small roles in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) and From Dusk till Dawn (1996). Saxon died of pneumonia in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on July 25, 2020.

Filmography

2018

The Green Fog as Self

2015

The Dentros as George Dentro
Black Christmas Legacy as Self (archive footage)

2012

Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s as Self

2010

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy as Self
Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen as John

2009

Old Dogs as Lee Robinson
How Bruce Lee Changed the World as Self
Clarkworld as Self
War Wolves as Tony Ford
The Mercy Man as Father McMurray

2008

God's Ears as Lee Robinson

2006

Pelts as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
Trapped Ashes as Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
Stanley's Girlfriend as Leo
The 12 Days of Black Christmas as Self
The Craving Heart as Richard Tom

2005

Masters of Horror as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson

2004

Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon as Self
Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen as Self

2003

Pitcher and the Pin-Up as Michael Curtis

2002

2001

Night Class as Murphy
Final Payback as Police Chief George Moreno
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee as Self

1996

From Dusk Till Dawn as FBI Agent Stanley Chase

1995

Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story as Richard Brooks
Jonathan of the Bears as Fred Goodwin
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities as Self
The Killers Within as Detective Lewis

1994

Beverly Hills Cop III as Orrin Sanderson
Wes Craven's New Nightmare as John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
Killing Obsession as Dr. Sachs
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon as Self
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up as Charles Searage

1993

Kung Fu: The Legend Continues as Straker
The Baby Doll Murders as John Maglia
No Escape, No Return as James Mitchell

1992

Melrose Place as Henry Waxman
Lucky Luke
Animal Instincts as Otto Van Horne
Maximum Force as Captain Fuller
Lucky Luke 2 as The Man in Black (archive footage)
Hellmaster as Professor Jones

1991

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as Self (archive footage)
Solomon Northup's Odyssey as Epps
Blackmail as Gene
The Arrival as Agent Miils
Payoff as Rafael Concion

1990

The Best of the Martial Arts Films as Self - Host
Blood Salvage as Clifford Evans
The Final Alliance as Ghost
The Last Samurai as Haroun Al-Hakim
Aftershock as Oliver Quinn
Crossing the Line as Jack Kagan

1989

My Mom's a Werewolf as Harry Thropen
Criminal Act as Herb Tamplin
Nightmare Beach as Strycher

1988

Monsters as Ben O'Connell
In the Heat of the Night as Dalton Sykes
Zombie Death House as Colonel Gordon Burgess
Stephen King's Monster Stories

1987

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors as Thompson

1986

Matlock as John Franklin
Hands of Steel as Francis Turner

1985

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Garth December
The Ray Bradbury Theater as Dudley Stone
Half Nelson as Actor
Fever Pitch as Sports Editor
Brothers-in-Law as Royal Cane

1984

Murder, She Wrote as Marco Gambini
A Nightmare on Elm Street as Lt. Donald Thompson
Finder of Lost Loves as Zach Donahue
Glitter as Judd Kovac

1983

The A-Team as Martin James
Scarecrow and Mrs. King as Dirk Fredericks
Hardcastle and McCormick as Martin Cody
Masquerade as Joey Savane
The Big Score as Davis
Prisoners of the Lost Universe as Kleel

1982

Hotel as Jack Curtis
American Playhouse as Epps
Tenebre as Bullmer
Wrong Is Right as Homer Hubbard
Scorpion with Two Tails as Arthur Barnard
Rooster as Jerome Brademan
One Too Many as Sergio Puccini
Lo Scorpione a Due Code as Arthur Barnard
Desire as Joe Hale

1981

Falcon Crest as Tony Cumson
Dynasty as Rashid Ahmed
Golden Gate as Monty Sager

1980

Magnum, P.I. as Ed Russler
Battle Beyond the Stars as Sador
Blood Beach as Captain Pearson
Cannibal Apocalypse as Norman Hopper
Running Scared as Captain Munoz
Beyond Evil as Larry Andrews

1979

The Electric Horseman as Hunt Sears
Fast Company as Phil Adamson
The Glove as Sam Kellog

1978

Fantasy Island as Roger Sullivan
Vega$ as Michael Jennings
The Immigrants as Alan Brocker
Greatest Heroes of the Bible as Adonijah
The Bees as John Norman
Shalimar as Colonel Columbus
The Immigrants as Alan Brocker

1977

The Fantastic Journey as Consul Tarant
79 Park Avenue as Harry Vito
Westside Medical as Bob Farrow
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist as Frank Di Maggio
Moonshine County Express as J.B. Johnson

1976

Quincy, M.E. as Publisher Charles Desskasa
The Bionic Woman as Nedlick
Once an Eagle as Capt. Townshend
Most Wanted as Randall Mason
Raid on Entebbe as Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
The Swiss Conspiracy as Robert Hayes
A Special Cop in Action as Albertelli
Violent Naples as Francesco Capuano
Cross Shot as Commissario Jacovella
Shadows in an Empty Room as Sgt. Ned Matthews
Mark Strikes Again as Altman

1975

Starsky & Hutch as René Nadasy
Wonder Woman as Captain Radl
Fight to the Death as Mariano Beltrán
Strange New World as Capt. Anthony Vico
Mitchell as Walter Deaney
Crossfire as Dave Ambrose

1974

The Rockford Files as Dave Delaroux
The Six Million Dollar Man as Maj. Frederick Sloan
Petrocelli as Richie Martin
Black Christmas as Lt. Fuller
Planet Earth as Dylan Hunt
Can Ellen Be Saved? as James Hallbeck

1973

Police Story as Rick Calvelli
Enter the Dragon as Roper
Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon as Self
Snatched as Paul Maxvill
Linda as Jeff Braden
Family Killer as Gaspare Ardizzone
Mr. Kingstreet's War as Mr. Kingstreet

1972

The Rookies as Farley
The Streets of San Francisco as Vince Hagopian Jr.
Banacek as Harry Harland
The Sixth Sense as Dr Harry Auden
Banyon as Johnny Clay
Joe Kidd as Luis Chama
Kung Fu as Raven
House Made of Dawn as Tosamah

1970

The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Mike Tedesca
Night Gallery as Ianto
Company of Killers as Dave Poohler
The Intruders as Billy Pye

1969

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors as Dr. Theodore Stuart
Death of a Gunfighter as Lou Trinidad
Istanbul Express as Cheval

1968

Hawaii Five-O as Harry Clive
The Name of the Game as Peter Max
It Takes a Thief as Dead Man
One Dollar Too Many as Clay Watson
Western, Italian Style as Self
For Singles Only as Bret Hendley

1967

Ironside as Eric Saginor
Cimarron Strip as Screamer
Garrison's Gorillas as Janus
Winchester '73 as Dakin McAdam

1966

The Time Tunnel as Marco Polo
The Appaloosa as Chuy
Queen of Blood as Allan Brenner
The Doomsday Flight as George Ducette

1965

The Night Caller as Dr. Jack Costain
The Ravagers as Capt. Kermit Dowling

1964

Another World as Edward Gerard
The Cavern as Joe Cramer

1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as Mario Silvetti
Burke's Law as Bud Charney
The Cardinal as Benny Rampell
The Girl Who Knew Too Much as Dr. Marcello Bassi

1962

The Virginian as Dell Stetler
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation as Byron Grant
War Hunt as Pvt. Raymond Endore
Agostino as Renzo

1961

The Mike Douglas Show as Self
Dr. Kildare as Richard Ross
The Dick Powell Show as Nick Giller
Posse from Hell as Seymour Kern

1960

The Unforgiven as Johnny Portugal
Portrait in Black as Blake Richards
The Plunderers as Rondo

1959

Bonanza as Chief Jocova
The Big Fisherman as Voldi
Cry Tough as Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada

1958

The Reluctant Debutante as David Parkson
This Happy Feeling as Bill Tremaine
The Restless Years as Will Henderson
Summer Love as Jimmy Daley

1956

The Unguarded Moment as Leonard Bennett
Rock, Pretty Baby as Jimmy Daley

1955

Gunsmoke as Virgil Stanley
Running Wild as Vince Pomeroy

1954

Medic as Danny Ortega
A Star Is Born as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
It Should Happen to You as Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)

1953

General Electric Theater as Martin Glass

1944

Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter