John Saxon
Actor
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.
As Director
Filmography
From Dusk Till Dawn
as FBI Agent Stanley Chase 1996
A Nightmare on Elm Street
as Lieutenant Thompson 1984
Beverly Hills Cop III
as Orrin Sanderson 1994
Enter the Dragon
as Roper 1973
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
as Thompson 1987
New Nightmare
as Self 1994
Black Christmas
as Lt. Fuller 1974
Tenebre
as Bullmer 1982
Joe Kidd
as Luis Chama 1972
A Star Is Born
as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited) 1954
The Unforgiven
as Johnny Portugal 1960
Battle Beyond the Stars
as Sador 1980
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
as Dr. Marcello Bassi 1963
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
as Self 2010
The Electric Horseman
as Hunt Sears 1979
Nightmare Beach
as Strycher 1989
Cannibal Apocalypse
as Norman Hopper 1980