John Saxon
Acting
- Born:
- 1935-08-05
- Died:
- 2020-07-25
- Place of birth:
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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
Filmography
The Green Fog
Black Christmas Legacy
The Dentros
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen
Old Dogs
Clarkworld
The Mercy Man
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
War Wolves
God's Ears
The 12 Days of Black Christmas
Pelts
Trapped Ashes
The Craving Heart
Stanley's Girlfriend
Masters of Horror
Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon
Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen
Pitcher and the Pin-Up
Black Christmas Revisited
Outta Time
'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
Night Class
Final Payback
Living in Fear
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
Welcome to Primetime
Joseph's Gift
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
The Party Crashers
Bottom Feeders
The Path of the Dragon
Lancelot: Guardian of Time
From Dusk Till Dawn
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story
Jonathan of the Bears
The Killers Within
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Killing Obsession
Beverly Hills Cop III
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
No Escape, No Return
The Baby Doll Murders
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Hellmaster
Animal Instincts
Maximum Force
Melrose Place
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke 2
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Blackmail
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
Payoff
The Arrival
Aftershock
Blood Salvage
Crossing the Line
The Final Alliance
The Last Samurai
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
Nightmare Beach
My Mom's a Werewolf
Criminal Act
Zombie Death House
Monsters
In the Heat of the Night
Stephen King's Monster Stories
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Hands of Steel
Matlock
Fever Pitch
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The Ray Bradbury Theater
Brothers-in-Law
Half Nelson
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Murder, She Wrote
Finder of Lost Loves
Glitter
Masquerade
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Hardcastle and McCormick
Prisoners of the Lost Universe
The Big Score
The A-Team
Desire
Tenebre
Scorpion with Two Tails
Hotel
Rooster
One Too Many
Wrong Is Right
American Playhouse
Lo Scorpione a Due Code
Falcon Crest
Golden Gate
Dynasty
Magnum, P.I.
Running Scared
Battle Beyond the Stars
Blood Beach
Cannibal Apocalypse
Beyond Evil
The Electric Horseman
The Glove
Fast Company
Shalimar
The Immigrants
Greatest Heroes of the Bible
The Bees
Vega$
Fantasy Island
79 Park Avenue
Moonshine County Express
Westside Medical
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist
The Fantastic Journey
Cross Shot
Raid on Entebbe
Once an Eagle
A Special Cop in Action
Mark Strikes Again
Quincy, M.E.
Violent Naples
Most Wanted
Shadows in an Empty Room
The Swiss Conspiracy
The Bionic Woman
Wonder Woman
Mitchell
Starsky & Hutch
Strange New World
Crossfire
Fight to the Death
Black Christmas
The Rockford Files
Petrocelli
Planet Earth
Can Ellen Be Saved?
The Six Million Dollar Man
Linda
Enter the Dragon
Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon
Mr. Kingstreet's War
Police Story
Family Killer
Snatched
Kung Fu
The Streets of San Francisco
Banyon
Banacek
The Rookies
Joe Kidd
House Made of Dawn
The Sixth Sense
Night Gallery
The Intruders
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Company of Killers
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Hawaii Five-O
Death of a Gunfighter
Istanbul Express
The Name of the Game
One Dollar Too Many
For Singles Only
It Takes a Thief
Western, Italian Style
Cimarron Strip
Garrison's Gorillas
Ironside
Winchester '73
The Doomsday Flight
The Appaloosa
The Time Tunnel
Queen of Blood
The Night Caller
The Ravagers
The Cavern
Another World
The Cardinal
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Burke's Law
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Agostino
The Virginian
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
War Hunt
The Mike Douglas Show
Dr. Kildare
The Dick Powell Show
Posse from Hell
The Plunderers
Portrait in Black
The Unforgiven
Bonanza
The Big Fisherman
Cry Tough
The Restless Years
The Reluctant Debutante
This Happy Feeling
Summer Love
The Unguarded Moment
Rock, Pretty Baby
Running Wild
Gunsmoke
A Star Is Born
Medic
It Should Happen to You
General Electric Theater
Golden Globe Awards
New Line: Independent Legacies