Acting · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA · Born August 5, 1935
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.
MovieThe Green Fog
2018
MovieBlack Christmas Legacy
2015
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Dentros
2015
as George Dentro
MovieEurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
2012
as Self
MovieNever Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
2010
as Self
MovieBring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen
2010
as John
MovieOld Dogs
2009
as Lee Robinson
MovieClarkworld
2009
as Self
MovieThe Mercy Man
2009
as Father McMurray
MovieHow Bruce Lee Changed the World
2009
as Self
MovieWar Wolves
2009
as Tony Ford
MovieGod's Ears
2008
as Lee Robinson
MovieThe 12 Days of Black Christmas
2006
as Self
MoviePelts
2006
as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
MovieTrapped Ashes
2006
as Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
The Craving Heart
2006
as Richard Tom
Stanley's Girlfriend
2006
as Leo
TVMasters of Horror
2005
as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
MovieBlood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon
2004
as Self
MovieEdgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen
2004
as Self
MoviePitcher and the Pin-Up
2003
as Michael Curtis
MovieBlack Christmas Revisited
2002
as Self
MovieOutta Time
2002
as Darabont
'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux
2002
as Sarge
MovieThe Unbeatable Bruce Lee
2001
MovieNight Class
2001
as Murphy
MovieFinal Payback
2001
as Police Chief George Moreno
MovieLiving in Fear
2000
as Rev. Leo Hausman
TVCSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Walter Gordon
MovieMario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
2000
as Self
MovieWelcome to Primetime
1999
as Self
MovieJoseph's Gift
1999
as Jacob Keller
MovieThe GREATEST : Bruce Lee
1998
as Comentador
MovieThe Party Crashers
1998
as Mr. Foster
Bottom Feeders
1998
as Antonio DiPaolo Jr.
MovieThe Path of the Dragon
1998
as Self
MovieLancelot: Guardian of Time
1997
as Wolvencroft
MovieFrom Dusk Till Dawn
1996
as FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities
1995
as Self
TVLiz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story
1995
as Richard Brooks
MovieJonathan of the Bears
1995
as Fred Goodwin
MovieThe Killers Within
1995
as Detective Lewis
MovieFrame-Up II: The Cover-Up
1994
as Charles Searage
MovieWes Craven's New Nightmare
1994
as John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
MovieKilling Obsession
1994
as Dr. Sachs
MovieBeverly Hills Cop III
1994
as Orrin Sanderson
MovieBruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
1994
as Self
MovieNo Escape, No Return
1993
as James Mitchell
MovieThe Baby Doll Murders
1993
as John Maglia
MovieHellmaster
1992
as Professor Jones
MovieAnimal Instincts
1992
as Otto Van Horne
MovieMaximum Force
1992
as Captain Fuller
TVMelrose Place
1992
as Henry Waxman
TVLucky Luke
1992
MovieLucky Luke 2
1992
as The Man in Black (archive footage)
MoviePreminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBlackmail
1991
as Gene
MovieSolomon Northup's Odyssey
1991
as Epps
MoviePayoff
1991
as Rafael Concion
MovieThe Arrival
1991
as Agent Miils
MovieAftershock
1990
as Oliver Quinn
MovieBlood Salvage
1990
as Clifford Evans
MovieCrossing the Line
1990
as Jack Kagan
MovieThe Final Alliance
1990
as Ghost
MovieThe Last Samurai
1990
as Haroun Al-Hakim
MovieThe Best of the Martial Arts Films
1990
as Self - Host
MovieCriminal Act
1989
as Herb Tamplin
MovieNightmare Beach
1989
as Strycher
MovieMy Mom's a Werewolf
1989
as Harry Thropen
MovieZombie Death House
1988
as Colonel Gordon Burgess
TVMonsters
1988
as Ben O'Connell
MovieStephen King's Monster Stories
1988
MovieA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1987
as Thompson
MovieHands of Steel
1986
as Francis Turner
TVMatlock
1986
as John Franklin
MovieFever Pitch
1985
as Sports Editor
TVThe New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1985
as Garth December
MovieBrothers-in-Law
1985
as Royal Cane
MovieA Nightmare on Elm Street
1984
as Lt. Donald Thompson
TVMurder, She Wrote
1984
as Marco Gambini
TVFinder of Lost Loves
1984
as Zach Donahue
TVMasquerade
1983
TVScarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
as Dirk Fredericks
TVHardcastle and McCormick
1983
as Martin Cody
MoviePrisoners of the Lost Universe
1983
as Kleel
MovieThe Big Score
1983
as Davis
TVThe A-Team
1983
as Martin James
MovieDesire
1982
as Joe Hale
MovieTenebre
1982
as Bullmer
MovieScorpion with Two Tails
1982
as Arthur Barnard
TVHotel
1982
as Jack Curtis
MovieRooster
1982
as Jerome Brademan
MovieOne Too Many
1982
as Sergio Puccini
MovieWrong Is Right
1982
as Homer Hubbard
TVAmerican Playhouse
1982
as Epps
MovieLo Scorpione a Due Code
1982
as Arthur Barnard
TVFalcon Crest
1981
as Tony Cumson
MovieGolden Gate
1981
as Monty Sager
TVMagnum, P.I.
1980
as Ed Russler
MovieRunning Scared
1980
as Captain Munoz
MovieBattle Beyond the Stars
1980
as Sador
MovieBlood Beach
1980
as Captain Pearson
MovieCannibal Apocalypse
1980
as Norman Hopper
MovieBeyond Evil
1980
as Larry Andrews
MovieThe Electric Horseman
1979
as Hunt Sears
MovieThe Glove
1979
as Sam Kellog
MovieFast Company
1979
as Phil Adamson
Shalimar
1978
as Colonel Columbus
MovieThe Immigrants
1978
as Alan Brocker
TVThe Immigrants
1978
as Alan Brocker
MovieThe Bees
1978
as John Norman
TVFantasy Island
1978
as Roger Sullivan
TV79 Park Avenue
1977
as Harry Vito
MovieMoonshine County Express
1977
as J.B. Johnson
MovieThe Cynic, the Rat & the Fist
1977
as Frank Di Maggio
TVThe Fantastic Journey
1977
as Consul Tarant
MovieCross Shot
1976
as Commissario Jacovella
MovieRaid on Entebbe
1976
as Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
TVOnce an Eagle
1976
as Capt. Townshend
MovieA Special Cop in Action
1976
as Albertelli
MovieMark Strikes Again
1976
as Altman
TVQuincy, M.E.
1976
as Publisher Charles Desskasa
MovieViolent Naples
1976
as Francesco Capuano
MovieShadows in an Empty Room
1976
as Sgt. Ned Matthews
MovieThe Swiss Conspiracy
1976
as Robert Hayes
TVWonder Woman
1975
as Captain Radl
MovieMitchell
1975
as Walter Deaney
TVStarsky & Hutch
1975
as René Nadasy
MovieStrange New World
1975
as Capt. Anthony Vico
MovieCrossfire
1975
as Dave Ambrose
MovieFight to the Death
1975
as Mariano Beltrán
MovieBlack Christmas
1974
as Lt. Fuller
TVThe Rockford Files
1974
as Dave Delaroux
TVPetrocelli
1974
as Richie Martin
MoviePlanet Earth
1974
as Dylan Hunt
MovieCan Ellen Be Saved?
1974
as James Hallbeck
TVThe Six Million Dollar Man
1974
as Maj. Frederick Sloan
MovieLinda
1973
as Jeff Braden
MovieEnter the Dragon
1973
as Roper
MovieLocation: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon
1973
as Self
MovieMr. Kingstreet's War
1973
as Mr. Kingstreet
MovieFamily Killer
1973
as Gaspare Ardizzone
MovieSnatched
1973
as Paul Maxvill
TVKung Fu
1972
as Raven
TVThe Streets of San Francisco
1972
as Vincent 'Vince' Hagopian Jr.
TVBanyon
1972
as Johnny Clay
TVBanacek
1972
as Harry Harland
MovieJoe Kidd
1972
as Luis Chama
MovieHouse Made of Dawn
1972
as Tosamah
TVNight Gallery
1970
as Ianto
MovieThe Intruders
1970
as Billy Pye
TVThe Mary Tyler Moore Show
1970
as Mike Tedesca
MovieCompany of Killers
1970
as Dave Poohler
TVThe Bold Ones: The New Doctors
1969
as Dr. Theodore Stuart
MovieDeath of a Gunfighter
1969
as Lou Trinidad
MovieIstanbul Express
1969
as Cheval
TVHawaii Five-O
1968
as Harry Clive
TVThe Name of the Game
1968
as Peter Max
MovieOne Dollar Too Many
1968
as Clay Watson
MovieFor Singles Only
1968
as Bret Hendley
TVIt Takes a Thief
1968
as Dead Man
MovieWestern, Italian Style
1968
as Self
TVIronside
1967
as Eric Saginor
MovieWinchester '73
1967
as Dakin McAdam
MovieThe Doomsday Flight
1966
as George Ducette
MovieThe Appaloosa
1966
as Chuy
TVThe Time Tunnel
1966
as Marco Polo
MovieQueen of Blood
1966
as Allan Brenner
MovieThe Night Caller
1965
as Dr. Jack Costain
MovieThe Ravagers
1965
as Capt. Kermit Dowling
MovieThe Cavern
1964
as Joe Cramer
MovieThe Cardinal
1963
as Benny Rampell
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
as Mario Silvetti
TVBurke's Law
1963
as Bud Charney
MovieThe Girl Who Knew Too Much
1963
as Dr. Marcello Bassi
MovieAgostino
1962
as Renzo
TVThe Virginian
1962
as Dell Stetler
MovieMr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1962
as Byron Grant
MovieWar Hunt
1962
as Pvt. Raymond Endore
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
MoviePosse from Hell
1961
as Seymour Kern
MovieThe Plunderers
1960
as Rondo
MoviePortrait in Black
1960
as Blake Richards
MovieThe Unforgiven
1960
as Johnny Portugal
TVBonanza
1959
as Chief Jocova
MovieThe Big Fisherman
1959
as Voldi
MovieCry Tough
1959
as Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada
MovieThe Restless Years
1958
as Will Henderson
MovieThe Reluctant Debutante
1958
as David Parkson
MovieThis Happy Feeling
1958
as Bill Tremaine
MovieSummer Love
1958
as Jimmy Daley
MovieThe Unguarded Moment
1956
as Leonard Bennett
MovieRock, Pretty Baby
1956
as Jimmy Daley
MovieRunning Wild
1955
as Vince Pomeroy
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Virgil Stanley
MovieA Star Is Born
1954
as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
MovieIt Should Happen to You
1954
as Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)
TVGeneral Electric Theater
1953
as Martin Glass
TVGolden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Presenter
New Line: Independent Legacies
as Self (archive footage)
