Days after his Beverly Hills Cop co-star John Ashton passed away at the age of 76, Judge Reinhold took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to the late actor.
In his heartfelt tribute, Reinhold shared some photos of the duo and reflected on their decades-long friendship.
“Thursday night John seemed like he was sleeping but the Yankees were on,” Reinhold shared. “They won the game, clinched the division then John made it to home. Forty years of laughs on screen and off. John LIVED his life! My brother, my partner, my Sarge – I love you. There’s no smoking in Heaven, John.”
John Ashton and Judge Reinhold starred as law enforcement partners Taggart and Rosewood in the 1984 comedy Beverly Hills Cop. They starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the comedy. Ashton appeared in the first two Beverly Hills Cop films. He and Reinhold then reprised his role in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F earlier this year.
His rep confirmed to Deadline that he died “peacefully” on Thursday, Sept. 26 in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He had been battling cancer.
“John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” the rep shared in a statement. “John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.”
Ashton is survived by his wife, Robin Hoye, his children, Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton, his stepchildren Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio, and Ashley Hoye, and his grandson Henry.
Judge Reinhold and John Ashton Recently Reflected on Reprising Their ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Roles
During a June 2024 interview with Comic Book Resources, Judge Reinhold and John Ashton reflected on reprising their Beverly Hills Cop roles for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Speaking about how he was first recognized for the role, Ashton admitted he wasn’t happy about it. “I walk down the street, and people go, ‘Hey Taggart! Hey Taggart!'” he recalled. “You know, when it first started happening, I got a little upset because I had done so many other things.”
He continued by pointing out, “I said, ‘Well, you know, I’ve done more things than just Taggart.’ As the years have gone on, I kind of really enjoy it now. There’s not too many actors that can put a stamp on a role that will be with them for eternity, so I take that as an honor now.”
“We’re very proud of the first one,” Reinhold further reflected. “Remembering that, when we did it, it was an edgy thing to combine action and comedy, those tonal changes. We didn’t know if it was going to work… It felt edgy, and we didn’t know we were helping to create a genre, so we’re both really proud of that.”
Ashton then added the original story was different from what was put int he film. “The original script was a very serious script,” he said. “And when Eddie took it over, then we started adding humor to it, but we kept the edginess to it. So, the story is still there, but now it’s got a little humor to it, but it’s still got the edge.”