John Saxon
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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (46)
Black Christmas Legacy
as Self (archive footage)
2015
The Dentros
as George Dentro
2015
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
as Self
2012
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
as Self
2010
Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen
as John
2010
Clarkworld
as Self
2009
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
as Self
2009
War Wolves
as Tony Ford
2009
God's Ears
as Lee Robinson
2008
The 12 Days of Black Christmas
as Self
2006
Pelts
as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
2006
Trapped Ashes
as Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
2006
The Craving Heart
as Richard Tom
2006
Stanley's Girlfriend
as Leo
2006
Blood and Steel: The Making of 'Enter the Dragon'
as Self
2004
Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen
as Self
2004
Pitcher and the Pin-Up
as Michael Curtis
2003
Black Christmas Revisited
as Self
2002
Outta Time
as Darabont
2002
'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux
as Sarge
2002
Night Class
as Murphy
2001
Final Payback
as Police Chief George Moreno
2001
Living in Fear
as Rev. Leo Hausman
2000
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
as Self
2000
Welcome to Primetime
as Self
1999
Bottom Feeders
as Antonio DiPaolo Jr.
1999
Joseph's Gift
as Jacob Keller
1999
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
as Comentador
1998
The Party Crashers
as Mr. Foster
1998
The Path of the Dragon
as Self
1998
Lancelot: Guardian of Time
as Wolvencroft
1997
From Dusk Till Dawn
as FBI Agent Stanley Chase
1996
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities
as Self
1995
Jonathan of the Bears
as Fred Goodwin
1995
The Killers Within
as Detective Lewis
1995
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
as Charles Searage
1994
New Nightmare
as Self
1994
Killing Obsession
as Dr. Sachs
1994
Beverly Hills Cop III
as Orrin Sanderson
1994
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
as Self
1994
No Escape, No Return
as James Mitchell
1993
The Baby Doll Murders
as John Maglia
1993
Hellmaster
as Professor Jones
1992
Animal Instincts
as Otto Van Horne
1992
Maximum Force
as Captain Fuller
1992
Lucky Luke 2
as The Man in Black (archive footage)
1992
