John Saxon
Acting1935Brooklyn, 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
Acting History
2015
The Dentros
as George Dentro
Black Christmas Legacy
as Self (archive footage)
2009
2008
God's Ears
as Lee Robinson
2006
Pelts
as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
Trapped Ashes
as Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
The Craving Heart
as Richard Tom
Stanley's Girlfriend
as Leo
Masters of Horror
TVas Jeb 'Pa' Jameson• 1 eps
2005
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TVas Walter Gordon• 1 eps
2003
Pitcher and the Pin-Up
as Michael Curtis
2002
2001
Night Class
as Murphy
Final Payback
as Police Chief George Moreno
2000
Living in Fear
as Rev. Leo Hausman
1999
Welcome to Primetime
as Self
Joseph's Gift
as Jacob Keller
1998
The Path of the Dragon
as Self
The Party Crashers
as Mr. Foster
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
as Comentador
Bottom Feeders
as Antonio DiPaolo Jr.
1997
Lancelot: Guardian of Time
as Wolvencroft
1996
From Dusk Till Dawn
as FBI Agent Stanley Chase
1995
Jonathan of the Bears
as Fred Goodwin
The Killers Within
as Detective Lewis
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story
TVas Richard Brooks
1994
Beverly Hills Cop III
as Orrin Sanderson
Killing Obsession
as Dr. Sachs
New Nightmare
as Self
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
as Charles Searage
Melrose Place
TVas Henry Waxman• 5 eps
1993
No Escape, No Return
as James Mitchell
The Baby Doll Murders
as John Maglia
1992
Hellmaster
as Professor Jones
Animal Instincts
as Otto Van Horne
Maximum Force
as Captain Fuller
Lucky Luke 2
as The Man in Black (archive footage)
Lucky Luke
TVas The Man in Black
1991
Blackmail
as Gene
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
as Epps
The Arrival
as Agent Miils
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
as Self (archive footage)
Payoff
as Rafael Concion
Matlock
TVas John Franklin• 1 eps
1990
Aftershock
as Oliver Quinn
The Last Samurai
as Haroun Al-Hakim
Blood Salvage
as Clifford Evans
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
as Self - Host
Crossing the Line
as Jack Kagan
The Final Alliance
as Ghost
1989
1988
1987
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
as Thompson
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TVas Garth December• 1 eps
Hotel
TVas Jack Curtis• 1 eps
1986
Hands of Steel
as Francis Turner
1985
1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street
as Lieutenant Thompson
Magnum, P.I.
TVas Ed Russler• 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
TVas Jerry Lydecker / Bernardo Bonelli / Marco Gambini• 1 eps
Finder of Lost Loves
TVas Zach Donahue
1983
Prisoners of the Lost Universe
as Kleel
The Big Score
as Davis
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
TVas Dirk Fredericks• 2 eps
Hardcastle and McCormick
TVas Martin Cody• 2 eps
1982
One Too Many
as Sergio Puccini
Unsane
as Bullmer
Scorpion with Two Tails
as Arthur Barnard
Wrong Is Right
as Homer Hubbard
Desire
as Joe Hale
Rooster
as Jerome Brademan
Lo Scorpione a Due Code
as Arthur Barnard
Falcon Crest
TVas Tony Cumson• 32 eps
1981
Golden Gate
as Monty Sager
1980
Cannibal Apocalypse
as Norman Hopper
Running Scared
as Captain Munoz
Battle Beyond the Stars
as Sador
Beyond Evil
as Larry Andrews
Blood Beach
as Captain Pearson
1979
The Glove
as Sam Kellog
The Electric Horseman
as Hunt Sears
Fast Company
as Phil Adamson
Hawaii Five-O
TVas Harry Clive• 1 eps
1978
The Bees
as John Norman
Shalimar
as Colonel Columbus
The Immigrants
as Alan Brocker
Fantasy Island
TVas Dr. Roger Sullivan• 1 eps
1977
Moonshine County Express
as J.B. Johnson
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist
as Frank Di Maggio
Quincy, M.E.
TVas Publisher Charles Desskasa• 1 eps
The Fantastic Journey
TVas Consul Tarant• 1 eps
79 Park Avenue
TVas Harry Vito
1976
Violent Naples
as Francesco Capuano
Mark Strikes Again
as Altman
Raid on Entebbe
as Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
The Swiss Conspiracy
as Robert Hayes
A Special Cop in Action
as Albertelli
Shadows in an Empty Room
as Sgt. Ned Matthews
Cross Shot
as Commissario Jacovella
Wonder Woman
TVas Captain Radl• 2 eps
The Rockford Files
TVas Dave Delaroux• 1 eps
Starsky & Hutch
TVas René Nadasy• 1 eps
The Six Million Dollar Man
TVas Maj. Frederick Sloan / Nedlick• 1 eps
Once an Eagle
TVas Capt. Townshend
1975
Strange New World
as Capt. Anthony Vico
Fight to the Death
as Mariano Beltrán
Crossfire
as Dave Ambrose
Mitchell
as Walter Deaney
Petrocelli
TVas Richie Martin• 1 eps
1974
Planet Earth
as Dylan Hunt
Can Ellen Be Saved?
as James Hallbeck
Black Christmas
as Lt. Fuller
Banacek
TVas Harry Harland• 1 eps
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
TVas Mike Tedesca• 1 eps
1973
Mr. Kingstreet's War
as Mr. Kingstreet
Enter the Dragon
as Roper
Snatched
as Paul Maxvill
Linda
as Jeff Braden
Family Killer
as Gaspare Ardizzone
The Streets of San Francisco
TVas Vincent 'Vince' Hagopian Jr.• 1 eps
1972
Joe Kidd
as Luis Chama
House Made of Dawn
as Tosamah
Banyon
TVas Johnny Clay
Kung Fu
TVas Raven• 1 eps
Night Gallery
TVas Ianto• 1 eps
1971
The Virginian
TVas Ben Oakes / Sgt. Terence Mulcahy / Dell Stetler• 1 eps
1970
1969
Death of a Gunfighter
as Lou Trinidad
Istanbul Express
as Cheval
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
TVas Dr. Theodore Stuart• 29 eps
1968
Western, Italian Style
as Self
One Dollar Too Many
as Clay Watson
For Singles Only
as Bret Hendley
It Takes a Thief
TVas Dead Man• 1 eps
The Name of the Game
TVas Peter Max• 1 eps
1967
Winchester '73
as Dakin McAdam
Bonanza
TVas Chief Jocova / Steven Friday / Blas• 1 eps
The Time Tunnel
TVas Marco Polo• 1 eps
1966
Queen of Blood
as Allan Brenner
The Doomsday Flight
as George Ducette
The Appaloosa
as Chuy
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
TVas Mario Silvetti• 1 eps
1965
The Ravagers
as Capt. Kermit Dowling
The Night Caller
as Dr. Jack Costain
Gunsmoke
TVas Cal Strom, Jr.• 1 eps
1964
The Cavern
as Joe Cramer
Burke's Law
TVas Gil Lynch• 1 eps
1963
The Cardinal
as Benny Rampell
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
as Dr. Marcello Bassi
1962
1961
Posse from Hell
as Seymour Kern
The Mike Douglas Show
TVas Self
1960
The Unforgiven
as Johnny Portugal
The Plunderers
as Rondo
Portrait in Black
as Blake Richards
Golden Globe Awards
TVas Self - Audience Member• 1 eps
1959
The Big Fisherman
as Voldi
Cry Tough
as Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada
1958
The Restless Years
as Will Henderson
Summer Love
as Jimmy Daley
The Reluctant Debutante
as David Parkson
This Happy Feeling
as Bill Tremaine
1956
Rock, Pretty Baby
as Jimmy Daley
The Unguarded Moment
as Leonard Bennett
1955
Running Wild
as Vince Pomeroy
1954
It Should Happen to You
as Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)
A Star Is Born
as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
1953
General Electric Theater
TVas Martin Glass