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.
Known For

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote

The A-Team

The A-Team

Bonanza

Bonanza
All Movies (149)
- Black Christmas Legacy2015 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Dentros2015 · as George Dentro
- Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s2012 · as Self
- Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy2010 · as Self
- Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen2010 · as John
- Old Dogs2009 · as Lee Robinson
- Clarkworld2009 · as Self
- The Mercy Man2009 · as Father McMurray
- How Bruce Lee Changed the World2009 · as Self
- War Wolves2009 · as Tony Ford
- God's Ears2008 · as Lee Robinson
- The 12 Days of Black Christmas2006 · as Self
- Pelts2006 · as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
- Trapped Ashes2006 · as Leo (segment "Stanley's Girlfriend")
- The Craving Heart2006 · as Richard Tom
- Stanley's Girlfriend2006 · as Leo
- Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon2004 · as Self
- Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen2004 · as Self
- Pitcher and the Pin-Up2003 · as Michael Curtis
- Black Christmas Revisited2002 · as Self
- Outta Time2002 · as Darabont
- 'Cannibal Apocalypse' Redux2002 · as Sarge
- The Unbeatable Bruce Lee2001
- Night Class2001 · as Murphy
- Final Payback2001 · as Police Chief George Moreno
- Living in Fear2000 · as Rev. Leo Hausman
- Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre2000 · as Self
- Welcome to Primetime1999 · as Self
- Joseph's Gift1999 · as Jacob Keller
- The GREATEST : Bruce Lee1998 · as Comentador
- The Party Crashers1998 · as Mr. Foster
- Bottom Feeders1998 · as Antonio DiPaolo Jr.
- The Path of the Dragon1998 · as Self
- Lancelot: Guardian of Time1997 · as Wolvencroft
- From Dusk Till Dawn1996 · as FBI Agent Stanley Chase
- Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities1995 · as Self
- Jonathan of the Bears1995 · as Fred Goodwin
- The Killers Within1995 · as Detective Lewis
- Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up1994 · as Charles Searage
- Wes Craven's New Nightmare1994 · as John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
- Killing Obsession1994 · as Dr. Sachs
- Beverly Hills Cop III1994 · as Orrin Sanderson
- Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon1994 · as Self
- No Escape, No Return1993 · as James Mitchell
- The Baby Doll Murders1993 · as John Maglia
- Hellmaster1992 · as Professor Jones
- Animal Instincts1992 · as Otto Van Horne
- Maximum Force1992 · as Captain Fuller
- Lucky Luke 21992 · as The Man in Black (archive footage)
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker1991 · as Self (archive footage)
- Blackmail1991 · as Gene
- Solomon Northup's Odyssey1991 · as Epps
- Payoff1991 · as Rafael Concion
- The Arrival1991 · as Agent Miils
- Aftershock1990 · as Oliver Quinn
- Blood Salvage1990 · as Clifford Evans
- Crossing the Line1990 · as Jack Kagan
- The Final Alliance1990 · as Ghost
- The Last Samurai1990 · as Haroun Al-Hakim
- The Best of the Martial Arts Films1990 · as Self - Host
- Criminal Act1989 · as Herb Tamplin
- Nightmare Beach1989 · as Strycher
- My Mom's a Werewolf1989 · as Harry Thropen
- Zombie Death House1988 · as Colonel Gordon Burgess
- Stephen King's Monster Stories1988
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors1987 · as Thompson
- Hands of Steel1986 · as Francis Turner
- Fever Pitch1985 · as Sports Editor
- Brothers-in-Law1985 · as Royal Cane
- A Nightmare on Elm Street1984 · as Lt. Donald Thompson
- Prisoners of the Lost Universe1983 · as Kleel
- The Big Score1983 · as Davis
- Desire1982 · as Joe Hale
- Tenebre1982 · as Bullmer
- Scorpion with Two Tails1982 · as Arthur Barnard
- Rooster1982 · as Jerome Brademan
- One Too Many1982 · as Sergio Puccini
- Wrong Is Right1982 · as Homer Hubbard
- Lo Scorpione a Due Code1982 · as Arthur Barnard
- Golden Gate1981 · as Monty Sager
- Running Scared1980 · as Captain Munoz
- Battle Beyond the Stars1980 · as Sador
- Blood Beach1980 · as Captain Pearson
- Cannibal Apocalypse1980 · as Norman Hopper
- Beyond Evil1980 · as Larry Andrews
- The Electric Horseman1979 · as Hunt Sears
- The Glove1979 · as Sam Kellog
- Fast Company1979 · as Phil Adamson
- Shalimar1978 · as Colonel Columbus
- The Immigrants1978 · as Alan Brocker
- The Bees1978 · as John Norman
- Moonshine County Express1977 · as J.B. Johnson
- The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist1977 · as Frank Di Maggio
- Cross Shot1976 · as Commissario Jacovella
- Raid on Entebbe1976 · as Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
- A Special Cop in Action1976 · as Albertelli
- Mark Strikes Again1976 · as Altman
- Violent Naples1976 · as Francesco Capuano
- Shadows in an Empty Room1976 · as Sgt. Ned Matthews
- The Swiss Conspiracy1976 · as Robert Hayes
- Mitchell1975 · as Walter Deaney
- Strange New World1975 · as Capt. Anthony Vico
- Crossfire1975 · as Dave Ambrose
- Fight to the Death1975 · as Mariano Beltrán
- Black Christmas1974 · as Lt. Fuller
- Planet Earth1974 · as Dylan Hunt
- Can Ellen Be Saved?1974 · as James Hallbeck
- Linda1973 · as Jeff Braden
- Enter the Dragon1973 · as Roper
- Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon1973 · as Self
- Mr. Kingstreet's War1973 · as Mr. Kingstreet
- Family Killer1973 · as Gaspare Ardizzone
- Snatched1973 · as Paul Maxvill
- Joe Kidd1972 · as Luis Chama
- House Made of Dawn1972 · as Tosamah
- The Intruders1970 · as Billy Pye
- Company of Killers1970 · as Dave Poohler
- Death of a Gunfighter1969 · as Lou Trinidad
- Istanbul Express1969 · as Cheval
- One Dollar Too Many1968 · as Clay Watson
- For Singles Only1968 · as Bret Hendley
- Western, Italian Style1968 · as Self
- Winchester '731967 · as Dakin McAdam
- The Doomsday Flight1966 · as George Ducette
- The Appaloosa1966 · as Chuy
- Queen of Blood1966 · as Allan Brenner
- The Night Caller1965 · as Dr. Jack Costain
- The Ravagers1965 · as Capt. Kermit Dowling
- The Cavern1964 · as Joe Cramer
- The Cardinal1963 · as Benny Rampell
- The Girl Who Knew Too Much1963 · as Dr. Marcello Bassi
- Agostino1962 · as Renzo
- Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation1962 · as Byron Grant
- War Hunt1962 · as Pvt. Raymond Endore
- Posse from Hell1961 · as Seymour Kern
- The Plunderers1960 · as Rondo
- Portrait in Black1960 · as Blake Richards
- The Unforgiven1960 · as Johnny Portugal
- The Big Fisherman1959 · as Voldi
- Cry Tough1959 · as Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada
- The Restless Years1958 · as Will Henderson
- The Reluctant Debutante1958 · as David Parkson
- This Happy Feeling1958 · as Bill Tremaine
- Summer Love1958 · as Jimmy Daley
- The Unguarded Moment1956 · as Leonard Bennett
- Rock, Pretty Baby1956 · as Jimmy Daley
- Running Wild1955 · as Vince Pomeroy
- A Star Is Born1954 · as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)
- It Should Happen to You1954 · as Boy Watching Argument in Park (uncredited)
All TV Shows (63)
- Masters of Horror2005 · as Jeb 'Pa' Jameson
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation2000 · as Walter Gordon
- Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story1995 · as Richard Brooks
- Melrose Place1992 · as Henry Waxman
- Lucky Luke1992
- Lucky Luke1992 · as The Man in Black
- Monsters1988 · as Ben O'Connell
- Matlock1986 · as John Franklin
- The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents1985 · as Garth December
- Murder, She Wrote1984 · as Marco Gambini
- Murder, She Wrote1984 · as Bernardo Bonelli
- Murder, She Wrote1984 · as Jerry Lydecker
- Finder of Lost Loves1984 · as Zach Donahue
- Masquerade1983
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King1983 · as Dirk Fredericks
- Hardcastle and McCormick1983 · as Martin Cody
- The A-Team1983 · as Martin James
- The A-Team1983 · as Kalem
- Hotel1982 · as Jack Curtis
- Falcon Crest1981 · as Tony Cumson
- Magnum, P.I.1980 · as Ed Russler
- The Immigrants1978 · as Alan Brocker
- Fantasy Island1978 · as Roger Sullivan
- 79 Park Avenue1977 · as Harry Vito
- The Fantastic Journey1977 · as Consul Tarant
- Once an Eagle1976 · as Capt. Townshend
- Quincy, M.E.1976 · as Publisher Charles Desskasa
- Wonder Woman1975 · as Captain Radl
- Starsky & Hutch1975 · as René Nadasy
- The Rockford Files1974 · as Dave Delaroux
- Petrocelli1974 · as Richie Martin
- The Six Million Dollar Man1974 · as Maj. Frederick Sloan
- The Six Million Dollar Man1974 · as Nedlick
- Kung Fu1972 · as Raven
- The Streets of San Francisco1972 · as Vincent 'Vince' Hagopian Jr.
- Banyon1972 · as Johnny Clay
- Banacek1972 · as Harry Harland
- Night Gallery1970 · as Ianto
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show1970 · as Mike Tedesca
- The Bold Ones: The New Doctors1969 · as Dr. Theodore Stuart
- Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Harry Clive
- The Name of the Game1968 · as Peter Max
- It Takes a Thief1968 · as Dead Man
- Ironside1967 · as Eric Saginor
- The Time Tunnel1966 · as Marco Polo
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre1963 · as Mario Silvetti
- Burke's Law1963 · as Bud Charney
- Burke's Law1963 · as Gil Lynch
- The Virginian1962 · as Dell Stetler
- The Virginian1962 · as Ben Oakes
- The Virginian1962 · as Sgt. Terence Mulcahy
- The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
- Bonanza1959 · as Chief Jocova
- Bonanza1959 · as Blas
- Bonanza1959 · as Steven Friday
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Virgil Stanley
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Pedro Manez
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Gristy Calhoun
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Dingo
- Gunsmoke1955 · as Cal Strom, Jr.
- General Electric Theater1953 · as Martin Glass
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Audience Member