John Saxon
Acting
- Born:
- 1935-08-05
- Died:
- 2020-07-25
- Place of birth:
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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.
Known For
Filmography
The Green Fog
Black Christmas Legacy
The Dentros
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
Old Dogs
Clarkworld
The Mercy Man
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
War Wolves
God's Ears
The 12 Days of Black Christmas
Pelts
Trapped Ashes
The Craving Heart
Stanley's Girlfriend
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
'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
Night Class
Final Payback
Living in Fear
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
Welcome to Primetime
Joseph's Gift
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
The Party Crashers
Bottom Feeders
The Path of the Dragon
Lancelot: Guardian of Time
From Dusk Till Dawn
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story
Jonathan of the Bears
The Killers Within
Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Killing Obsession
Beverly Hills Cop III
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
No Escape, No Return
The Baby Doll Murders
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Hellmaster
Animal Instincts
Maximum Force
Melrose Place
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke 2
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Blackmail
Solomon Northup's Odyssey
Payoff