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.
Recent movies
| # | Name | Character | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010) | Self | 7.3 |
| 2 | Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen (2010) | John | - |
| 3 | How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009) | Self | - |
| 4 | Old Dogs (2009) | Lee Robinson | 6.4 |
| 5 | War Wolves (2009) | Tony Ford | 3 |
| 6 | Trapped Ashes (2006) | Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend") | - |
| 7 | Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon (2004) | Self | - |
| 8 | Pitcher and the Pin-Up (2003) | Michael Curtis | 6.3 |
| 9 | Outta Time (2002) | Darabont | - |
| 10 | Welcome to Primetime (1999) | Self | - |
| 11 | Lancelot: Guardian of Time (1997) | Wolvencroft | - |
| 12 | From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) | FBI Agent Stanley Chase | 7.3 |
| 13 | Killing Obsession (1994) | Dr. Sachs | - |
| 14 | Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) | Orrin Sanderson | 6.1 |
| 15 | Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) | John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson | 6.7 |
| 16 | Lucky Luke 2 (1992) | The Man in Black (archive footage) | - |
| 17 | Animal Instincts (1992) | Otto Van Horne | - |
| 18 | Blackmail (1991) | Gene | - |
| 19 | The Final Alliance (1990) | Ghost | - |
| 20 | Blood Salvage (1990) | Clifford Evans | - |
| 21 | Criminal Act (1989) | Herb Tamplin | 4 |
| 22 | My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) | Harry Thropen | - |
| 23 | Nightmare Beach (1989) | Strycher | 6.5 |
| 24 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) | Thompson | 6.9 |
| 25 | Hands of Steel (1986) | Francis Turner | 6 |
| 26 | A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) | Lt. Donald Thompson | 7.7 |
| 27 | Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983) | Kleel | 5 |
| 28 | Tenebre (1982) | Bullmer | 7.5 |
| 29 | Beyond Evil (1980) | Larry Andrews | 5 |
| 30 | Cannibal Apocalypse (1980) | Norman Hopper | 7 |
| 31 | Blood Beach (1980) | Captain Pearson | 4 |
| 32 | Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) | Sador | 5.3 |
| 33 | The Electric Horseman (1979) | Hunt Sears | 4 |
| 34 | Fast Company (1979) | Phil Adamson | - |
| 35 | The Bees (1978) | John Norman | 4 |
| 36 | Moonshine County Express (1977) | J.B. Johnson | 6 |
| 37 | The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist (1977) | Frank Di Maggio | - |
| 38 | Raid on Entebbe (1976) | Maj. Gen. Benny Peled | 5 |
| 39 | Mitchell (1975) | Walter Deaney | 1 |
| 40 | Planet Earth (1974) | Dylan Hunt | 8 |
| 41 | Black Christmas (1974) | Lt. Fuller | 7.8 |
| 42 | Snatched (1973) | Paul Maxvill | - |
| 43 | Enter the Dragon (1973) | Roper | 7.1 |
| 44 | Joe Kidd (1972) | Luis Chama | 7 |
| 45 | The Cardinal (1963) | Benny Rampell | 5 |
| 46 | The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) | Dr. Marcello Bassi | 6 |
| 47 | Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) | Byron Grant | - |
| 48 | The Unforgiven (1960) | Johnny Portugal | 6 |
| 49 | Cry Tough (1959) | Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada | 6 |
| 50 | It Should Happen to You (1954) | Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited) | 5 |
| 51 | A Star Is Born (1954) | Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited) | 5.2 |
