John Saxon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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
Black Christmas Legacy
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
Clarkworld
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
War Wolves
God's Ears
The 12 Days of Black Christmas
Pelts
Trapped Ashes
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
Night Class
Final Payback
Living in Fear
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
Joseph's Gift
Criminal Minds
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
The Party Crashers
Bruce Lee: In His Own Words
Bruce Lee: The Intercepting Fist
Lancelot: Guardian Of Time
From Dusk Till Dawn
Jonathan of the Bears
The Killers Within
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
New Nightmare
Killing Obsession
Beverly Hills Cop III
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
No Escape, No Return
The Baby Doll Murders
Hellmaster
Animal Instincts
Maximum Force
Melrose Place
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke 2
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Blackmail
Payoff
The Arrival
Aftershock
Blood Salvage
The Final Alliance
The Last Samurai
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
Criminal Act
Nightmare Beach
My Mom's a Werewolf
Zombie Death House
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Hands of Steel
Fever Pitch
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Brothers-in-Law
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Murder, She Wrote
Finder of Lost Loves
Masquerade
Prisoners of the Lost Universe
The Big Score
The A-Team
Tenebre
Scorpion with Two Tails
Rooster
Una di troppo
Wrong Is Right
Golden Gate
Running Scared
Battle Beyond the Stars
Blood Beach
Invasion of the Flesh Hunters
Beyond Evil
The Electric Horseman
The Glove
Fast Company
Shalimar
The Immigrants
The Bees
Fantasy Island
79 Park Avenue
Moonshine County Express
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist
Cross Shot
Raid on Entebbe
Once an Eagle
A Special Cop in Action
Mark Strikes Again
Quincy, M.E.
Violent Naples
Shadows in an Empty Room
The Swiss Conspiracy
Wonder Woman
Starsky & Hutch
Strange New World
Crossfire
Fight to the Death
Black Christmas
The Rockford Files
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
Family Killer
Snatched
Joe Kidd
House Made of Dawn
Night Gallery
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Company of Killers
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Death of a Gunfighter
Istanbul Express
Hawaii Five-O
One Dollar Too Many
For Singles Only
It Takes a Thief
Ironside
Winchester '73
The Doomsday Flight
The Appaloosa
Queen of Blood
The Night Caller
The Ravagers
The Cavern
The Cardinal
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Agostino
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
War Hunt
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
It Should Happen to You