John Saxon
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- August 5, 1935
- Died
- July 25, 2020
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
- New Line: Independent Legacies
New Line: Independent Legacies TBA
as Self (archive footage)
The Green Fog 2018
as Self
Black Christmas Legacy 2015
as Self (archive footage)
The Dentros 2015
as George Dentro
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s 2012
as Self
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy 2010
as Self
Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen 2010
as John
Old Dogs 2009
as Lee Robinson
Clarkworld 2009
as Self
The Mercy Man 2009
as Father McMurray
How Bruce Lee Changed the World 2009
as Self
War Wolves 2009
as Tony Ford
God's Ears 2008
as Lee Robinson
The 12 Days of Black Christmas 2006
as Self
Pelts 2006
as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
Trapped Ashes 2006
as Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
- The Craving Heart
The Craving Heart 2006
as Richard Tom
- Stanley's Girlfriend
Stanley's Girlfriend 2006
as Leo
Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon 2004
as Self
Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen 2004
as Self
Pitcher and the Pin-Up 2003
as Michael Curtis
Black Christmas Revisited 2002
as Self
Outta Time 2002
as Darabont
- 'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux
'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux 2002
as Sarge
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee 2001
as Self
Night Class 2001
as Murphy
Final Payback 2001
as Police Chief George Moreno
Living in Fear 2000
as Rev. Leo Hausman
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre 2000
as Self
Welcome to Primetime 1999
as Self
Joseph's Gift 1999
as Jacob Keller
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee 1998
as Comentador
The Party Crashers 1998
as Mr. Foster
The Path of the Dragon 1998
as Self
- Bottom Feeders
Bottom Feeders 1998
as Antonio DiPaolo Jr.
Lancelot: Guardian of Time 1997
as Wolvencroft
From Dusk Till Dawn 1996
as FBI Agent Stanley Chase
- Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities 1995
as Self
Jonathan of the Bears 1995
as Fred Goodwin
The Killers Within 1995
as Detective Lewis
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up 1994
as Charles Searage
Wes Craven's New Nightmare 1994
as John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
Killing Obsession 1994
as Dr. Sachs
Beverly Hills Cop III 1994
as Orrin Sanderson
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon 1994
as Self
No Escape, No Return 1993
as James Mitchell
The Baby Doll Murders 1993
as John Maglia
Hellmaster 1992
as Professor Jones
Animal Instincts 1992
as Otto Van Horne
Maximum Force 1992
as Captain Fuller
Lucky Luke 2 1992
as The Man in Black (archive footage)
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker 1991
as Self (archive footage)
Blackmail 1991
as Gene
Solomon Northup's Odyssey 1991
as Epps
Payoff 1991
as Rafael Concion
The Arrival 1991
as Agent Miils
Aftershock 1990
as Oliver Quinn
Blood Salvage 1990
as Clifford Evans
Crossing the Line 1990
as Jack Kagan
The Final Alliance 1990
as Ghost
The Last Samurai 1990
as Haroun Al-Hakim
The Best of the Martial Arts Films 1990
as Self - Host
Nightmare Beach 1989
as Strycher
My Mom's a Werewolf 1989
as Harry Thropen
Criminal Act 1989
as Herb Tamplin
Zombie Death House 1988
as Colonel Gordon Burgess, Director
Stephen King's Monster Stories 1988
Actor
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors 1987
as Thompson
Hands of Steel 1986
as Francis Turner
Fever Pitch 1985
as Sports Editor
Brothers-in-Law 1985
as Royal Cane
A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984
as Lt. Thompson
Prisoners of the Lost Universe 1983
as Kleel
The Big Score 1983
as Davis
Desire 1982
as Joe Hale
Tenebre 1982
as Bullmer
Scorpion with Two Tails 1982
as Arthur Barnard
Rooster 1982
as Jerome Brademan
One Too Many 1982
as Sergio Puccini
Wrong Is Right 1982
as Homer Hubbard
Lo Scorpione a Due Code 1982
as Arthur Barnard
Golden Gate 1981
as Monty Sager
Running Scared 1980
as Captain Munoz
Battle Beyond the Stars 1980
as Sador
Blood Beach 1980
as Captain Pearson
Cannibal Apocalypse 1980
as Norman Hopper
Beyond Evil 1980
as Larry Andrews
The Electric Horseman 1979
as Hunt Sears
The Glove 1979
as Sam Kellog
Fast Company 1979
as Phil Adamson
Shalimar 1978
as Colonel Columbus
The Bees 1978
as John Norman
Moonshine County Express 1977
as J.B. Johnson
The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist 1977
as Frank Di Maggio
Cross Shot 1976
as Commissario Jacovella
Raid on Entebbe 1976
as Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
A Special Cop in Action 1976
as Albertelli
Mark Strikes Again 1976
as Altman
Violent Naples 1976
as Francesco Capuano
Shadows in an Empty Room 1976
as Sgt. Ned Matthews
The Swiss Conspiracy 1976
as Robert Hayes
Mitchell 1975
as Walter Deaney
Strange New World 1975
as Capt. Anthony Vico
Crossfire 1975
as Dave Ambrose
Fight to the Death 1975
as Mariano Beltrán
Black Christmas 1974
as Lt. Fuller
Planet Earth 1974
as Dylan Hunt
Can Ellen Be Saved? 1974
as James Hallbeck
Linda 1973
as Jeff Braden
Enter the Dragon 1973
as Roper
Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon 1973
as Self
Mr. Kingstreet's War 1973
as Mr. Kingstreet
Family Killer 1973
as Gaspare Ardizzone
Snatched 1973
as Paul Maxvill
Joe Kidd 1972
as Luis Chama
House Made of Dawn 1972
as Tosamah
The Intruders 1970
as Billy Pye
Company of Killers 1970
as Dave Poohler
Death of a Gunfighter 1969
as Lou Trinidad
Istanbul Express 1969
as Cheval
One Dollar Too Many 1968
as Clay Watson
For Singles Only 1968
as Bret Hendley
Western, Italian Style 1968
as Self
Winchester '73 1967
as Dakin McAdam
The Doomsday Flight 1966
as George Ducette
The Appaloosa 1966
as Chuy
Queen of Blood 1966
as Allan Brenner
The Night Caller 1965
as Dr. Jack Costain
The Ravagers 1965
as Capt. Kermit Dowling
The Cavern 1964
as Joe Cramer
The Cardinal 1963
as Benny Rampell
The Girl Who Knew Too Much 1963
as Dr. Marcello Bassi
Agostino 1962
as Renzo
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation 1962
as Byron Grant
War Hunt 1962
as Pvt. Raymond Endore
Posse from Hell 1961
as Seymour Kern
The Plunderers 1960
as Rondo
Portrait in Black 1960
as Blake Richards
The Unforgiven 1960
as Johnny Portugal
The Big Fisherman 1959
as Voldi
Cry Tough 1959
as Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada
The Restless Years 1958
as Will Henderson
The Reluctant Debutante 1958
as David Parkson
This Happy Feeling 1958
as Bill Tremaine
Summer Love 1958
as Jimmy Daley
The Unguarded Moment 1956
as Leonard Bennett
Rock, Pretty Baby 1956
as Jimmy Daley
Running Wild 1955
as Vince Pomeroy
A Star Is Born 1954
as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
It Should Happen to You 1954
as Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)
Credits from TMDB.