John Saxon
Acting
Born: August 5, 1935 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Died: July 25, 2020 (aged 84)
Highest Rated
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.
Known for
From Dusk Till Dawn
1996
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984
Beverly Hills Cop III
1994
Enter the Dragon
1973
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1987
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
1994
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
The A-Team
1983
Black Christmas
1974
Old Dogs
2009
Tenebre
1982
Wonder Woman
1975
Photos (8)
Movies (125)
Beverly Hills Cop III
Orrin Sanderson
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Lt. Thompson
Enter the Dragon
Roper
From Dusk Till Dawn
FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
Old Dogs
Lee Robinson
The Unforgiven
Johnny Portugal
Portrait in Black
Blake Richards
The Cardinal
Benny Rampell
A Star Is Born
Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
The Electric Horseman
Hunt Sears
It Should Happen to You
Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)
Black Christmas
Lt. Fuller
Animal Instincts
Otto Van Horne
Joe Kidd
Luis Chama
Hands of Steel
Francis Turner
Battle Beyond the Stars
Sador
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Thompson
Tenebre
Bullmer
Blood Beach
Captain Pearson
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
Byron Grant
Death of a Gunfighter
Lou Trinidad
Posse from Hell
Seymour Kern
The Unguarded Moment
Leonard Bennett
A Special Cop in Action
Albertelli
Nightmare Beach
Strycher
Wrong Is Right
Homer Hubbard
Scorpion with Two Tails
Arthur Barnard
My Mom's a Werewolf
Harry Thropen
The Appaloosa
Chuy
Moonshine County Express
J.B. Johnson
Trapped Ashes
Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
The Reluctant Debutante
David Parkson
Pelts
Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
Aftershock
Oliver Quinn
Fast Company
Phil Adamson
Shadows in an Empty Room
Sgt. Ned Matthews
Raid on Entebbe
Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
Blood Salvage
Clifford Evans
Living in Fear
Rev. Leo Hausman
The Big Score
Davis
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Dr. Marcello Bassi
Cannibal Apocalypse
Norman Hopper
War Wolves
Tony Ford
Istanbul Express
Cheval
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist
Frank Di Maggio
Queen of Blood
Allan Brenner
The Big Fisherman
Voldi
Blackmail
Gene
Maximum Force
Captain Fuller
The Swiss Conspiracy
Robert Hayes
Prisoners of the Lost Universe
Kleel
War Hunt
Pvt. Raymond Endore
Winchester '73
Dakin McAdam
The Restless Years
Will Henderson
Strange New World
Capt. Anthony Vico
Beyond Evil
Larry Andrews
Lancelot: Guardian of Time
Wolvencroft
Mitchell
Walter Deaney
The Doomsday Flight
George Ducette
Zombie Death House
Colonel Gordon Burgess
Final Payback
Police Chief George Moreno
Violent Naples
Francesco Capuano
House Made of Dawn
Tosamah
The Arrival
Agent Miils
Can Ellen Be Saved?
James Hallbeck
The Intruders
Billy Pye
Fever Pitch
Sports Editor
Pitcher and the Pin-Up
Michael Curtis
Planet Earth
Dylan Hunt
The Bees
John Norman
The Glove
Sam Kellog
This Happy Feeling
Bill Tremaine
Outta Time
Darabont
Jonathan of the Bears
Fred Goodwin
Running Scared
Captain Munoz
The Killers Within
Detective Lewis
No Escape, No Return
James Mitchell
The Baby Doll Murders
John Maglia
Joseph's Gift
Jacob Keller
The Plunderers
Rondo
Company of Killers
Dave Poohler
Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen
John
One Dollar Too Many
Clay Watson
The Cavern
Joe Cramer
Cross Shot
Commissario Jacovella
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
Comentador
Night Class
Murphy
The Last Samurai
Haroun Al-Hakim
Stephen King's Monster Stories
1988
Snatched
Paul Maxvill
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
Epps
Running Wild
Vince Pomeroy
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
Charles Searage
Brothers-in-Law
Royal Cane
Payoff
Rafael Concion
Mr. Kingstreet's War
Mr. Kingstreet
Agostino
Renzo
Criminal Act
Herb Tamplin
The Final Alliance
Ghost
For Singles Only
Bret Hendley
Linda
Jeff Braden
Crossing the Line
Jack Kagan
Mark Strikes Again
Altman
Fight to the Death
Mariano Beltrán
God's Ears
Lee Robinson
Killing Obsession
Dr. Sachs
Family Killer
Gaspare Ardizzone
The Night Caller
Dr. Jack Costain
Rock, Pretty Baby
Jimmy Daley
Golden Gate
Monty Sager
Rooster
Jerome Brademan
Shalimar
Colonel Columbus
Lo Scorpione a Due Code
Arthur Barnard
Summer Love
Jimmy Daley
Lucky Luke 2
The Man in Black (archive footage)
Cry Tough
Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada
One Too Many
Sergio Puccini
The Ravagers
Capt. Kermit Dowling
The Party Crashers
Mr. Foster
Hellmaster
Professor Jones
Crossfire
Dave Ambrose
The Mercy Man
Father McMurray
The Dentros
George Dentro
Desire
Joe Hale
TV Shows (82)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Walter Gordon · 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
Marco Gambini · 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
Bernardo Bonelli · 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
Jerry Lydecker · 1 eps
Bonanza
Chief Jocova · 1 eps
Bonanza
Blas · 1 eps
Bonanza
Steven Friday · 1 eps
Magnum, P.I.
Ed Russler · 1 eps
Ironside
Eric Saginor · 1 eps
Ironside
Carter · 1 eps
Falcon Crest
Tony Cumson · 32 eps
Melrose Place
Henry Waxman · 5 eps
The Rockford Files
Dave Delaroux · 1 eps
The A-Team
Martin James · 1 eps
The A-Team
Kalem · 1 eps
The Virginian
Sgt. Terence Mulcahy · 1 eps
The Virginian
Ben Oakes · 1 eps
The Virginian
Dell Stetler · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Harry Clive · 1 eps
Quincy, M.E.
Publisher Charles Desskasa · 1 eps
Dynasty
Rashid Ahmed · 6 eps
The Six Million Dollar Man
Maj. Frederick Sloan · 1 eps
The Six Million Dollar Man
Nedlick · 1 eps
Matlock
John Franklin · 1 eps
American Playhouse
Epps · 1 eps
Fantasy Island
Roger Sullivan · 1 eps
Fantasy Island
Professor Harold DeHaven · 1 eps
Hotel
Jack Curtis · 1 eps
Dr. Kildare
Richard Ross · 2 eps
Starsky & Hutch
René Nadasy · 1 eps
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Garth December · 1 eps
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Mike Tedesca · 1 eps
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Dirk Fredericks · 2 eps
Night Gallery
Ianto · 1 eps
Burke's Law
Bud Charney · 1 eps
Burke's Law
Gil Lynch · 1 eps
The Rookies
Farley · 1 eps
The Name of the Game
Peter Max · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Virgil Stanley · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Pedro Manez · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Gristy Calhoun · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Dingo · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Cal Strom, Jr. · 1 eps
In the Heat of the Night
Dalton Sykes · 1 eps
The Streets of San Francisco
Vince Hagopian Jr. · 1 eps
The Ray Bradbury Theater
Dudley Stone · 1 eps
Police Story
Rick Calvelli · 1 eps
The Time Tunnel
Marco Polo · 1 eps
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Straker · 1 eps
The Bionic Woman
Nedlick · 1 eps
Vega$
Michael Jennings · 2 eps
Monsters
Ben O'Connell · 1 eps
Wonder Woman
Captain Radl · 2 eps
Masters of Horror
Jeb 'Pa' Jameson · 1 eps
Hardcastle and McCormick
Martin Cody · 2 eps
Petrocelli
Richie Martin · 1 eps
Another World
Edward Gerard · 6 eps
It Takes a Thief
Dead Man · 1 eps
Banacek
Harry Harland · 1 eps
The Dick Powell Show
Nick Giller · 1 eps
Cimarron Strip
Screamer · 1 eps
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Dr. Theodore Stuart · 29 eps
Finder of Lost Loves
Zach Donahue · 1 eps
The Sixth Sense
Dr Harry Auden · 1 eps
Masquerade
Joey Savane · 1 eps
Garrison's Gorillas
Janus · 1 eps
Lucky Luke
1992
Lucky Luke
The Man in Black · 1 eps
Banyon
Johnny Clay · 1 eps
Once an Eagle
Capt. Townshend · 7 eps
The Fantastic Journey
Consul Tarant · 1 eps
Medic
Danny Ortega · 1 eps
Most Wanted
Randall Mason · 1 eps
Glitter
Judd Kovac · 1 eps
General Electric Theater
Martin Glass · 1 eps
79 Park Avenue
Harry Vito · 2 eps
Half Nelson
Actor · 1 eps
The Immigrants
Alan Brocker · 2 eps
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story
Richard Brooks · 2 eps
Greatest Heroes of the Bible
Adonijah · 1 eps
Westside Medical
Bob Farrow · 1 eps
Kung Fu
Raven · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (22)
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · 2 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter · 2 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member · 1 eps
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
Self
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Self
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Self (archive footage)
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
Self
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
Self - Host
The Green Fog
Self
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
Self
Clarkworld
Self
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
Self
Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon
Self
The 12 Days of Black Christmas
Self
Welcome to Primetime
Self
The Path of the Dragon
Self
Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen
Self
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
Self
Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon
Self
Western, Italian Style
Self
Black Christmas Revisited
Self
Black Christmas Legacy
Self (archive footage)