In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the top 20 best buddy cop movies of all time.
Editorial Note: The criteria to be included on this list is that at least one of the two main characters in the film is either a current cop, a former cop, or a private detective.
(L to R) Kevin Hart and Ice Cube in ‘Ride Along’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben (Kevin Hart) has been trying to show decorated APD detective James (Ice Cube) that he’s more than just a video-game junkie who’s unworthy of James’ sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter). When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he’s earned the seasoned policeman’s respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela. Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner’s rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.
When a vengeful New York transit cop (Woody Harrelson) decides to steal a trainload of subway fares, his foster brother (Wesley Snipes), a fellow cop—tries to protect him.
When cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high school students. They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, and set out to shut down a dangerous drug ring. But, as time goes on, Schmidt and Jenko discover that high school is nothing like it was just a few years earlier — and, what’s more, they must again confront the teenage terror and anxiety they thought they had left behind.
Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell (Sean Connery) was his commanding officer years before when he left the military police over a disagreement over the handling of a drunk driver. Now a series of murders that cross jurisdictions force them to work together again. That Austin is now dating Caldwell’s daughter (Meg Ryan) is not helping their relationship.
Estranged half-brothers Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) reunite after their father’s mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.
Detective Scott Turner (Tom Hanks) has three days left in the local police department before he moves to a bigger city to get some ‘real’ cases—not just misdemeanors. When Amos Reed (John McIntire) is murdered, Scott sets himself on the case, but the closest thing to a witness to the murder is Reed’s dog, Hooch, which Scott has to take care of—to avoid Hooch being ‘put to sleep’.
When Hong Kong Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) is summoned to Los Angeles to investigate a kidnapping, the FBI doesn’t want any outside help and assigns cocky LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) to distract Lee from the case. Not content to watch the action from the sidelines, Lee and Carter form an unlikely partnership and investigate the case themselves.
Unlike their heroic counterparts on the force, desk-bound NYPD detectives Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) garner no headlines as they work day to day. When a seemingly minor case turns out to be a big deal, the two cops get the opportunity to finally prove to their comrades that they have the right stuff.
A private eye (Ryan Gosling) and an enforcer (Russell Crowe) investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.
(L to R) Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal in ‘Running Scared’. Photo: MGM Entertainment Co.
Two street-wise Chicago cops (Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines) have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer (Jimmy Smits) that nearly killed them in the past.
New York detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he’d seen it all, until a genius named Simon (Jeremy Irons) engages McClane, his new “partner” — and his beloved city — in a deadly game that demands their concentration.
Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is a henpecked family man. Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is a footloose and fancy free ladies’ man. Both Miami policemen, they have 72 hours to reclaim a consignment of drugs stolen from under their station’s nose. To complicate matters, in order to get the assistance of the sole witness (Téa Leoni) to a murder, they have to pretend to be each other.
Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Gabriel Cash (Kurt Russell) are two successful narcotics detectives who can’t stand each other. Crime lord Yves Perret (Jack Palance), furious at the loss of income they have caused him, plots an elaborate revenge against them.
A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife (Gong Li) of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves.
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
A petty thief (Robert Downey Jr.) posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role.
Somewhere in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams, a stripper (Halle Berry) is murdered. Now, the private detective (Bruce Willis) she had hired and her ex-footballer boyfriend (Damon Wayans) are going to find her murderer, if they don’t kill each other first. But the more they dig, the deeper they become enmeshed in a web of extortion, blackmail and corrupt politics hidden beneath the surface of professional football.
A bounty hunter and former-cop (Robert De Niro) pursues a former Mafia accountant (Charles Grodin) who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter (John Ashton), the F.B.I. (Yaphet Kotto), and his old mob boss (Dennis Farina) after jumping bail.
(L to R) Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in ’48 hrs.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
A hard-nosed cop (Nick Nolte) reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal (Eddie Murphy) temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer (James Remar).
Have you ever watched a movie and just thought it was okay? You didn’t hate it, but you didn’t love it either.
But then on a second viewing, maybe on TV, you realized that you loved the movie and that it has really grown on you and become one of your favorites. That happens all the time because motion pictures are truly a living and breathing artform. This is why we have phrases like: “Cult Classics” or “Rewatchable Movies”.
In that spirit, Moviefone is counting down the 30 most underrated movies of all time, which includes films that got better on a second watch or just deserve more attention than they have previously received.
(L to R) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Kevin Kline and Alan Rickman in ‘The January Man’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Nick (Kevin Kline) and Frank (Harvey Keitel) Starkey were both policemen. A scandal forced Nick to leave the force, now a serial killer has driven the police to take him back. A web that includes Frank’s wife (Susan Sarandon), bribery, and corruption all are in the background as Nick tries to uncover the secret of where the killer will strike next, and finally must lay a trap without the police.
Jason Statham in ‘Homefront’. Photo: Open Road Films.
Phil Broker (Jason Statham) is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss’ son. He is recently widowed and is left with a 9-years-old daughter (Izabela Vidovic), Maddy. He decides to quit the turbulent and demanding life of thrill for Maddy’s sake and retires to a small town. His daughter fights off a boy who was bullying her at school and this sets in motion a round of events that end in his direct confrontation with the local Meth drug lord (James Franco). His past history with the biker gang also enters the arena, making matters more complex. But he has a mission in his mind to protect his daughter and he is ready to pay any cost that it demands.
(L to R) Kurt Russell and Adrienne Barbeau in ‘Escape from New York’. Photo: AVCO Embassy Pictures.
In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. After the US president crash-lands inside, war hero Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) has 24 hours to bring him back.
(L to R) Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe in ‘Proof of Life’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Alice (Meg Ryan) hires a professional negotiator (Russell Crowe) to obtain the release of her engineer husband (David Morse), who has been kidnapped by anti-government guerrillas in South America.
Scarlett Johansson in ‘Lucy’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A woman (Scarlett Johansson), accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.
Michael Fassbender in ‘Steve Jobs’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
Matt Damon in ‘The Martian’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
(L to R) Taye Diggs and Samuel L. Jackson in ‘Basic’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A DEA agent (John Travolta) investigates the disappearance of a legendary Army ranger drill sergeant (Samuel L. Jackson) and several of his cadets during a training exercise gone severely awry.
(L to R) Colin Farrell and Charlie Hunnam in ‘The Gentlemen’. Photo: STXfilms.
American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.
An idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in ‘Shot Caller’. Photo: Saban Films.
A newly-released prison gangster (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is forced by the leaders of his gang to orchestrate a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California.
A frustrated man (Gerard Butler) decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family’s killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney (Jamie Foxx) and others involved in the deal.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Brick’. Photo: Focus Features.
After a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body was found. Vowing to solve her murder himself, he must infiltrate high-school cliques that he previously avoided. His search for the truth brings him before some of the school’s roughest characters.
Cast of 2010’s ‘The Losers’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
On a mission deep in the Bolivian jungle, a team of elite commandos finds itself on the receiving end of a lethal betrayal. Now presumed dead, the men join forces with a mysterious operative named Aisha (Zoe Saldaña) to hunt down their enemy and even the score.
(L to R) Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in ‘Charlie Wilson’s War.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
The true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s (Tom Hanks) covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets had some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster in ‘Inside Man’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
When an armed, masked gang enter a Manhattan bank, lock the doors and take hostages, the detective (Denzel Washington) assigned to effect their release enters negotiations preoccupied with corruption charges he is facing.
(L to R) Colin Farrell as Detective James ‘Sonny’ Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Detective Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife (Gong Li) of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves.
Cast of 2010’s ‘Takers’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A seasoned team of bank robbers, including Gordon Jennings (Idris Elba), John Rahway (Paul Walker), A.J. (Hayden Christensen), and brothers Jake (Michael Ealy) and Jesse Attica (Chris Brown) successfully complete their latest heist and lead a life of luxury while planning their next job. When Ghost (T.I.), a former member of their team, is released from prison he convinces the group to strike an armored car carrying $20 million. As the “Takers” carefully plot out their strategy and draw nearer to exacting the grand heist, a reckless police officer inches closer to apprehending the criminals.
(L to R) Tom Sizemore and Nicolas Cage in ‘Bringing Out the Dead’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Once called “Father Frank” for his efforts to rescue lives, Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage) sees the ghosts of those he failed to save around every turn. He has tried everything he can to get fired, calling in sick, delaying taking calls where he might have to face one more victim he couldn’t help, yet cannot quit the job on his own.
(L to R) Anna Kendrick and Ben Affleck in ‘The Accountant.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
As a math savant (Ben Affleck) uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.
Oscar Isaac in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis.’ Photo: CBS Films.
In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.
(L to R) Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner in ‘Silverado’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Four unwitting heroes (Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner and Danny Glover) cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and a murderous posse. It’s up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.
Mel Gibson in ‘Edge of Darkness.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma’s killer. Now, he is on a personal mission to uncover the disturbing secrets surrounding her murder, including corporate corruption, government collusion and Emma’s own mysterious life.
Edward Norton in ‘Motherless Brooklyn’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
New York City, 1957. Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), a private detective living with Tourette syndrome, tries to solve the murder of his mentor and best friend (Bruce Willis), armed only with vague clues and the strength of his obsessive mind.
Jon Hamm in ‘Confess, Fletch.’ Photo courtesy of Miramax.
The roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch (Jon Hamm) becomes the prime suspect in a murder case while searching for a stolen art collection. The only way to prove his innocence? Find out which of the long list of suspects is the culprit – from the eccentric art dealer (Kyle MacLachlan) and a missing playboy (John Behlmann) to a crazy neighbor (Annie Mumolo) and Fletch’s Italian girlfriend (Lorenza Izzo). Crime, in fact, has never been this disorganized.
Paul Newman in ‘The Verdict’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is a down-on-his-luck lawyer and reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing, when a former associate reminds him of his obligations in a medical malpractice suit by serving it to Galvin on a silver platter—all parties are willing to settle out of court. Blundering his way through the preliminaries, Galvin suddenly realizes that the case should actually go to court—to punish the guilty, to get a decent settlement for his clients… and to restore his standing as a lawyer.
(L to R) Colm Meaney, Daniel Craig, and George Harris in ‘Layer Cake.’ Photo: Columbia Pictures.
When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX (Daniel Craig) has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin.
Peter Fonda in ‘Ulee’s Gold’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Third-generation Florida beekeeper Ulee Jackson (Peter Fonda) may have gotten out of Vietnam alive but he left a part of himself behind. Now he methodically tends his bees carefully, provides for his two grandchildren and keeps his emotions at bay. But when a long-buried secret threatens Ulee’s business and family, he is forced to break through his emotional walls and confront the terror of his wounded spirit.
Christopher Walken in ‘King of New York’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
A former drug lord (Christopher Walken) returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York’s poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
(L to R) Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch’s niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.
(L to R) Rachel Weisz and Ralph Finnes in ‘The Constant Gardner’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Justin Quayle (Ralph Finnes) is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) is killed he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy.
(L to R) Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans in ‘The Last Boy Scout’. Photo: Warner Bros.
When the girl (Halle Berry) that detective Joe Hallenback (Bruce Willis) is protecting gets murdered, the boyfriend (Damon Wayans) of the murdered girl attempts to investigate and solve the case. What they discover is that there is deep seated corruption going on between a crooked politician and the owner of a pro football team.
In 1980s Beirut, Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) is a former US diplomat who is called back into service to save a colleague from the group that is possibly responsible for his own family’s death. Meanwhile a CIA field agent (Rosamund Pike) who is working under cover at the American embassy is tasked with keeping Mason alive and ensuring that the mission is a success.
Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod in 1986’s ‘Highlander.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod (Christophe Lambert). He is immortal.
Jean-Claude Van Damme in ‘Timecop’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
An officer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician (Ron Silver) who has a tie to his past.
Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Inherent Vice.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterson).
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Derek Luke in ‘Spartan’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
US government agent Scott (Val Kilmer) is assigned to rescue the daughter (Kristen Bell) of a high-ranking government official. As willing as he is to bend the rules to get things done though, Scott is shocked to find that others are willing to go even further to protect a political career.
(Right) Gerard Butler in ‘Den of Thieves’. Photo: STXfilms,
A gritty crime saga which follows the lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.
(L to R) Sean Penn and Gary Oldman in ‘State of Grace.’ Photo: Orion Pictures.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) returns home after a ten-year absence. He soon reconnects with Jackie (Gary Oldman), a childhood friend and member of the Irish mob, and rekindles his love affair with Jackie’s sister Kathleen (Robin Wright).
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in director Shane Black’s ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.’
A petty thief posing as an actor (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role.
Denzel Washington in ‘Man on Fire’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she’s kidnapped he’s consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life.
John Cusack in ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Martin Blank (John Cusack) is a hitman for hire. When he starts to develop a conscience, he botches a couple of routine jobs. On the advice of his secretary (Joan Cusack) and his psychiatrist (Alan Arkin), he decides to attend his ten-year high school reunion in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
(L to R) Luis Guzmán and Terence Stamp in ‘The Limey’. Photo: Artisan Entertainment.
‘The Limey’ follows Wilson (Terence Stamp), a tough English ex-con who travels to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter’s death. Upon arrival Wilson goes to task battling Valentine (Peter Fonda) and an army of LA’s toughest criminals hoping to find clues and piece together what happened. After surviving a near-death beating, getting thrown from a building and being chased down a dangerous mountain road, the Englishman decides to dole out some bodily harm of his own.
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin in ‘Midnight Run.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
A bounty hunter (Robert De Niro) pursues a former Mafia accountant (Charles Gordon), who embezzled $15 million of mob money. He is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter (John Ashton), the F.B.I. (Yaphet Kotto), and a mob boss (Dennis Farina) after jumping bail.
Denzel Washington in ‘The Mighty Quinn.’ Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Police chief Xavier Quinn (Denzel Washington) investigates the gruesome murder of Donald Pater, one of the wealthiest residents on a Caribbean island. He was found decapitated in his Jacuzzi. Although the local political establishment especially crooked Governor Chalk (Norman Beaton) insists that smalltime thief Maubee (Robert Townsend) is responsible, Xavier has his doubts. This view is complicated by the police chiefs personal history with Maubee. The men have been friends since childhood.
(L to R) Alan Arkin and Peter Falk in ‘The In-Laws.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
In preparation for his daughter’s wedding, dentist Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin) meets Vince Ricardo (Peter Falk), the groom’s father. Vince, a manic fellow who claims to be a government agent, then proceeds to drag Sheldon into a series of chases and misadventures from New York to Central America.
Ryan Gosling in ‘Drive.’ Photo Credit: Richard Foreman Jr. SMPSP.
Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he’s been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Irene’s husband (Oscar Isaac) gets out of jail, he enlists Driver’s help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery.
John Ashton in ‘Midnight Run’, Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
Actor John Ashton has died aged 76.
He was most famous for portraying Sergeant Taggart in the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise.
Ashton was remembered by his family as “a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather.”
John Ashton, an actor who became a film favorite in the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise thanks to his role as the gruff, often frustrated Sergeant Taggart, has died. He was 76 and had been dealing with cancer.
A statement from his representative paid tribute to him:
“John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him. John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.”
(L to R) Judge Reinhold, Eddie Murphy and John Ashton attend the ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ World Premiere at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on June 20, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Netflix.
Born February 22nd, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts and raised in Enfield, Connecticut, Ashton attended Defiance College in Ohio before transferring to University of Southern California, where he graduated with a BA in theater arts.
Ashton’s work became marked by his ability to balance humor and toughness, making him a beloved character actor, especially in roles that highlight his everyman charm and strong screen presence.
John Ashton’s ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Legacy
(L to R) Judge Reinhold, John Ashton and Eddie Murphy in ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Ashton landed the role of Sergeant John Taggart, who, alongside Judge Reinhold’s Detective Billy Rosewood, was part of the detail assigned to monitor the newly arrived Detroit officer Axel Foley, played the career-skyrocketing effect by Eddie Murphy in 1984.
Despite the differences in law enforcement style (and Foley initially messing with Taggart and Rosewood), the three eventually became friends.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye; children Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton; step-children Courtney Donovan, Lindsay Curcio and Ashley Hoye; grandson Henry; sisters Sharon Ann Ashton and Linda Jean Ashton; and brother Edward Richard Ashton.
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(L to R) Eddie Murphy, John Ashton, and Judge Reinhold in ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
But later in 2024, we’ll see them in meatier roles for a new crime thriller called ‘The Instigators’, in which they play two thieves pulling off a desperate robbery.
Apple TV+ was quick to snap this one up and has the first images from the movie online.
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What’s the story of ‘The Instigators’?
Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to pull off a robbery of the ill-gained earnings of a corrupt politician. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police, but also backwards bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses.
Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture –– or worse.
And for Damon, this was a chance to reunite with his ‘Bourne Identity’ director. This is what he said:
“I absolutely love working with Doug. I can’t believe it took us 20 years to find something else to do together. Doug is one of the most creatively tenacious people I’ve ever met. He just won’t stop until the movie is as good as it can be, and that is the best possible thing you can feel from a director. I trust him completely.”
“‘The Instigators’ is about two strangers who are hired for a heist. They become frenemies and then become friends while Jack Harlow yells at us, Paul Walter Hauser insults us, Ving Rhames hunts us, and Hong Chau keeps us alive.”
When will ‘The Instigators’ land on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ will start streaming the new movie on August 9th. Hopefully Liman is already aware it’ll be going directly there; we don’t need another ‘Road House’ protest.
(L to R) Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in ‘The Instigators’. Photo: Apple TV+.
Philip Baker Hall, an actor for his hangdog expressions, gruff-but-kind demeanor, and undaunted acting ability, has died. He was 90.
Hall was born in Toledo, Ohio on September 30, 1931, served as a U.S. Army translator in Germany and worked as a high school teacher before trying his hand at acting. He didn’t in fact, give performing a shot until he was 30 years old.
After building a career on the New York stage, he relocated to Los Angeles and made his big-screen debut with an uncredited role in Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1970 film ‘Zabriskie Point.’
He also spent years as a guest star on shows such as ‘Good Times’ and ‘M*A*S*H,’ Hall but drew widespread notice on the stage for his performance as disgraced former President Nixon in the 1983 one-man play ‘Secret Honor’ at the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre. He reprised the role on stage in Boston, Washington and off-Broadway, where he earned a Drama Desk nomination, and on the big screen in Robert Altman’s 1984 feature film adaptation.
His work continued steadily through the 1908s, as Hall had supporting roles in ‘Ghostbusters II,’ ‘Say Anything’ and ‘Midnight Run,’ on the big screen and ‘Miami Vice,’ ‘Benson’ and ‘Family Ties’ on TV.
(L to R) Philip Baker Hall and Larry David on HBO’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’
Hall proved equally adept at drama and comedy, appearing in nearly 200 film and television projects, as well as more than 100 roles in the theater throughout his six-decade career. Continuing to work late into his life, even as he required an oxygen tank at times due to his health issues, he made memorable appearances in a variety of movies films including several for Paul Thomas Anderson: ‘Hard Eight’, ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Magnolia’, plus the likes of ‘Bruce Almighty,’ ‘Zodiac’, as a CIA director in ‘Argo’ and as a cranky neighbor Walt Kleezak on the ABC sitcom ‘Modern Family’.
He famously showed up on ‘Seinfeld’ as a hard-boiled detective pursuing a 20-year-overdue library book, lambasting Jerry, and drawing new fans to his work. It was such a success that he returned for the series finale. And he went on to appear on ‘Seinfeld’ co-creator Larry David’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’
“So sad to hear that we’ve lost the great Philip Baker Hall,” director Greg Mottola said on Twitter. “I had the sublime pleasure of working with him twice. A fantastic actor, a lovely man, and nobody made Larry David break on camera as much as Phil. RIP”
Holly Wolfle Hall, the actor’s wife of nearly 40 years, on Monday said Hall died Sunday surrounded by loved ones in Glendale, California. Hall had apparently been well until a few weeks earlier, and spent his final days in warm spirits, reflecting on his life.
“His voice at the end was still just as powerful,” said Wolfle Hall, remarking that he’d never retired from acting.
He’s a huge loss to the community and to the world in general, and he’ll be sorely missed.
