John Saxon
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.
Photos
Films (150)
The Green Fog
2018 · Self
Black Christmas Legacy
2015 · Self (archive footage)
The Dentros
2015 · George Dentro
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
2012 · Self
Pesadilla en la calle del infierno 10 - Desde dentro
2010 · Self
Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen
2010 · John
Old Dogs
2009 · Lee Robinson
Clarkworld
2009 · Self
The Mercy Man
2009 · Father McMurray
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
2009 · Self
War Wolves
2009 · Tony Ford
God's Ears
2008 · Lee Robinson
The 12 Days of Black Christmas
2006 · Self
Pelts
2006 · Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
Trapped Ashes
2006 · Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
The Craving Heart
2006 · Richard Tom
Stanley's Girlfriend
2006 · Leo
Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon
2004 · Self
Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen
2004 · Self
Pitcher and the Pin-Up
2003 · Michael Curtis
Black Christmas Revisited
2002 · Self
Outta Time
2002 · Darabont
'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux
2002 · Sarge
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
2001 · Self
Night Class
2001 · Murphy
Final Payback
2001 · Police Chief George Moreno
Living in Fear
2000 · Rev. Leo Hausman
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
2000 · Self
Welcome to Primetime
1999 · Self
Joseph's Gift
1999 · Jacob Keller
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
1998 · Comentador
The Party Crashers
1998 · Mr. Foster
Bottom Feeders
1998 · Antonio DiPaolo Jr.
The Path of the Dragon
1998 · Self
Lancelot: Guardian of Time
1997 · Wolvencroft
From Dusk Till Dawn
1996 · FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities
1995 · Self
Jonathan of the Bears
1995 · Fred Goodwin
The Killers Within
1995 · Detective Lewis
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
1994 · Charles Searage
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
1994 · John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
Killing Obsession
1994 · Dr. Sachs
Beverly Hills Cop III
1994 · Orrin Sanderson
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
1994 · Self
No Escape, No Return
1993 · James Mitchell
The Baby Doll Murders
1993 · John Maglia
Hellmaster
1992 · Professor Jones
Animal Instincts
1992 · Otto Van Horne
Maximum Force
1992 · Captain Fuller
Lucky Luke 2
1992 · The Man in Black (archive footage)
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991 · Self (archive footage)
Blackmail
1991 · Gene
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
1991 · Epps
Payoff
1991 · Rafael Concion
The Arrival
1991 · Agent Miils
Aftershock
1990 · Oliver Quinn
Blood Salvage
1990 · Clifford Evans
Crossing the Line
1990 · Jack Kagan
The Final Alliance
1990 · Ghost
The Last Samurai
1990 · Haroun Al-Hakim
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
1990 · Self - Host
Nightmare Beach
1989 · Strycher
My Mom's a Werewolf
1989 · Harry Thropen
Criminal Act
1989 · Herb Tamplin
Zombie Death House
1988 · Colonel Gordon Burgess, Director
Stephen King's Monster Stories
1988
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1987 · Thompson
Hands of Steel
1986 · Francis Turner
Fever Pitch
1985 · Sports Editor
Brothers-in-Law
1985 · Royal Cane
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984 · Lt. Thompson
Prisoners of the Lost Universe
1983 · Kleel
The Big Score
1983 · Davis
Desire
1982 · Joe Hale
Tenebre
1982 · Bullmer
Scorpion with Two Tails
1982 · Arthur Barnard
Rooster
1982 · Jerome Brademan
One Too Many
1982 · Sergio Puccini
Wrong Is Right
1982 · Homer Hubbard
Lo Scorpione a Due Code
1982 · Arthur Barnard
Golden Gate
1981 · Monty Sager
Running Scared
1980 · Captain Munoz
Battle Beyond the Stars
1980 · Sador
Blood Beach
1980 · Captain Pearson
Cannibal Apocalypse
1980 · Norman Hopper
Beyond Evil
1980 · Larry Andrews
The Electric Horseman
1979 · Hunt Sears
The Glove
1979 · Sam Kellog
Fast Company
1979 · Phil Adamson
Shalimar
1978 · Colonel Columbus
The Bees
1978 · John Norman
Moonshine County Express
1977 · J.B. Johnson
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist
1977 · Frank Di Maggio
Cross Shot
1976 · Commissario Jacovella
Raid on Entebbe
1976 · Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
A Special Cop in Action
1976 · Albertelli
Mark Strikes Again
1976 · Altman
Violent Naples
1976 · Francesco Capuano
Shadows in an Empty Room
1976 · Sgt. Ned Matthews
The Swiss Conspiracy
1976 · Robert Hayes
Mitchell
1975 · Walter Deaney
Strange New World
1975 · Capt. Anthony Vico
Crossfire
1975 · Dave Ambrose
Fight to the Death
1975 · Mariano Beltrán
Black Christmas
1974 · Lt. Fuller
Planet Earth
1974 · Dylan Hunt
Can Ellen Be Saved?
1974 · James Hallbeck
Linda
1973 · Jeff Braden
Enter the Dragon
1973 · Roper
Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon
1973 · Self
Mr. Kingstreet's War
1973 · Mr. Kingstreet
Family Killer
1973 · Gaspare Ardizzone
Snatched
1973 · Paul Maxvill
Joe Kidd
1972 · Luis Chama
House Made of Dawn
1972 · Tosamah
The Intruders
1970 · Billy Pye
Company of Killers
1970 · Dave Poohler
Death of a Gunfighter
1969 · Lou Trinidad
Istanbul Express
1969 · Cheval
One Dollar Too Many
1968 · Clay Watson
For Singles Only
1968 · Bret Hendley
Western, Italian Style
1968 · Self
Winchester '73
1967 · Dakin McAdam
The Doomsday Flight
1966 · George Ducette
The Appaloosa
1966 · Chuy
Queen of Blood
1966 · Allan Brenner
The Night Caller
1965 · Dr. Jack Costain
The Ravagers
1965 · Capt. Kermit Dowling
The Cavern
1964 · Joe Cramer
The Cardinal
1963 · Benny Rampell
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
1963 · Dr. Marcello Bassi
Agostino
1962 · Renzo
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1962 · Byron Grant
War Hunt
1962 · Pvt. Raymond Endore
Posse from Hell
1961 · Seymour Kern
The Plunderers
1960 · Rondo
Portrait in Black
1960 · Blake Richards
The Unforgiven
1960 · Johnny Portugal
The Big Fisherman
1959 · Voldi
Cry Tough
1959 · Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada
The Restless Years
1958 · Will Henderson
The Reluctant Debutante
1958 · David Parkson
This Happy Feeling
1958 · Bill Tremaine
Summer Love
1958 · Jimmy Daley
The Unguarded Moment
1956 · Leonard Bennett
Rock, Pretty Baby
1956 · Jimmy Daley
Running Wild
1955 · Vince Pomeroy
A Star Is Born
1954 · Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
It Should Happen to You
1954 · Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)
New Line: Independent Legacies
· Self (archive footage)
Séries (69)
Les maîtres de l'horreur
2005 · Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
Les Experts
2000 · Walter Gordon
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story
1995 · Richard Brooks
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
1993 · Straker
Melrose Place
1992 · Henry Waxman
Lucky Luke
1992 · The Man in Black
Monsters
1988 · Ben O'Connell
In the Heat of the Night
1988 · Dalton Sykes
Matlock
1986 · John Franklin
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1985 · Garth December
The Ray Bradbury Theater
1985 · Dudley Stone
Half Nelson
1985 · Actor
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · Marco Gambini, Bernardo Bonelli, Jerry Lydecker
Finder of Lost Loves
1984 · Zach Donahue
Glitter
1984 · Judd Kovac
Masquerade
1983 · Joey Savane
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983 · Dirk Fredericks
Hardcastle and McCormick
1983 · Martin Cody
The A-Team
1983 · Martin James, Kalem
Hotel
1982 · Jack Curtis
American Playhouse
1982 · Epps
Falcon Crest
1981 · Tony Cumson
Dynasty
1981 · Rashid Ahmed
Magnum, P.I.
1980 · Ed Russler
The Immigrants
1978 · Alan Brocker
Greatest Heroes of the Bible
1978 · Adonijah
Vega$
1978 · Michael Jennings
Fantasy Island
1978 · Roger Sullivan, Professor Harold DeHaven
79 Park Avenue
1977 · Harry Vito
Westside Medical
1977 · Bob Farrow
The Fantastic Journey
1977 · Consul Tarant
Once an Eagle
1976 · Capt. Townshend
Quincy, M.E.
1976 · Publisher Charles Desskasa
Most Wanted
1976 · Randall Mason
The Bionic Woman
1976 · Nedlick
Wonder Woman
1975 · Captain Radl
Starsky & Hutch
1975 · René Nadasy
The Rockford Files
1974 · Dave Delaroux
Petrocelli
1974 · Richie Martin
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974 · Maj. Frederick Sloan, Nedlick
Police Story
1973 · Rick Calvelli
Kung Fu
1972 · Raven
The Streets of San Francisco
1972 · Vince Hagopian Jr.
Banyon
1972 · Johnny Clay
Banacek
1972 · Harry Harland
The Rookies
1972 · Farley
The Sixth Sense
1972 · Dr Harry Auden
Night Gallery
1970 · Ianto
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970 · Mike Tedesca
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
1969 · Dr. Theodore Stuart
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Harry Clive
The Name of the Game
1968 · Peter Max
It Takes a Thief
1968 · Dead Man
Cimarron Strip
1967 · Screamer
Garrison's Gorillas
1967 · Janus
Ironside
1967 · Eric Saginor, Carter
The Time Tunnel
1966 · Marco Polo
Another World
1964 · Edward Gerard
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963 · Mario Silvetti, Augie
Burke's Law
1963 · Bud Charney, Gil Lynch
The Virginian
1962 · Dell Stetler, Ben Oakes, Sgt. Terence Mulcahy
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Dr. Kildare
1961 · Richard Ross
The Dick Powell Show
1961 · Nick Giller
Bonanza
1959 · Chief Jocova, Blas, Steven Friday
Gunsmoke
1955 · Virgil Stanley, Pedro Manez, Gristy Calhoun, Dingo, Cal Strom, Jr.
Medic
1954 · Danny Ortega
General Electric Theater
1953 · Martin Glass
Golden Globe Awards
1944 · Self - Presenter, Self - Audience Member