A ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ star whose acting career spanned more than five decades has died at the age of 76.

Variety reports that John Ashton, best known for his role as Detective Sergeant John Taggart in all four “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado. A cause of death has not been announced.

“Thursday night it looked like John was asleep, but the Yankees were busy. They won the game, clinched the division and John made it home. Forty years of laughter on screen and off. John LIVED his life! My brother, my partner, my sergeant, I love you. There’s no smoking in heaven, John,” co-star Judge Reinhold wrote in a social media tribute to Ashton.

Reinhold and Ashton both played members of the Beverly Hills Police Department who befriend Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley, a Detroit cop investigating a murder with California connections in 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop.” The trio reunited for multiple sequels , including 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which Ashton’s character was promoted to police chief.

Ashton’s credits include nearly 100 other films and TV shows, including 1987’s ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ (as Eric Stoltz’s father) and 1988’s ‘Midnight Run’ (opposite Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin). Ashton also appeared in ‘An Eye for an Eye’, ‘Gone Baby Gone’, ‘Borderline’, ‘Columbo’, ‘Police Story’, ‘Barnaby Jones’, ‘M*A*S*H’, ‘Starsky & Hutch ‘ , ‘Dallas’, ‘Little Big League’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘She’s Having a Baby’, ‘Hardball’, ‘Last Resort’, ‘Middle Men’, ‘Meet the Deedles’ and ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai through the 8th dimension.”

Survivors reportedly include Ashton’s 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.

Legendary singer, songwriter and ‘A Star Is Born’ actor has passed away

Oscar-winning actress and ‘Downton Abbey’ star dies at 89

‘Karate Kid’ Actor, Son of Hollywood Legend, Dies at 63