The star actor of “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Midnight Run,” has died at the age of 76

John Ashton, an actor with a long list of film credits who is perhaps best known as police officer John Taggert in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, has died at the age of 76, according to multiple reports.

Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released Sunday by Ashton’s manager Alan Somers. A cause of death was initially not known.

Born on February 22, 1948 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ashton has had more than 200 roles in film, television and stage productions. His early career included several guest appearances on television shows such as “Columbo,” “M*A*S*H,” and “Dallas.”

He had small roles in films such as “Oh, God” and “Breaking Away”, but his first major role was in 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop” with Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold.

He also had roles in the John Hughes films “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “She’s Getting a Baby,” as well as “Beverly Hills Cop II” and “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which were released on Netflix this year.

But one of his most notable roles was as bounty hunter Marvin Dorfler, Robert De Niro’s main rival in 1987’s Midnight Run.

In July, Ashton spoke to Collider about his audition with De Niro.

“Bobby started giving me these matches and I went to get them and he threw them on the floor and stared at me,” Ashton said. “I was looking at the matches, looked up and said, ‘F– you,’ and he said, ‘F– you too.’ I said, “Go – yourself.” I know every other actor picked that up and handed it to him, and as I was leaving I realized he said, “I want it,” because he wanted someone to stand up to him defends him.”

Ashton attended college in Defiance, Ohio for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in theater, according to Variety.

Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye, two children, three stepchildren, a grandson, two sisters and a brother.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)