Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer.
Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. He has worked as a stand-up comedian and was ranked No. 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
In films, Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in 48 Hrs., the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, and Dolemite Is My Name. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls.
reported TMZ on Sunday.A rep for Ashton told the outlet that he passed on Thursday in Ft. Collins, Colorado after fighting cancer.
The Springfield, Massachusettes native appeared in over 200 screen and stage productions during his 50-year career, including three out of four installments of “Beverly Hills Cop” beginning in 1984.His latest turn as Chief John Taggart, the straight man to Murphy’s wise-cracking Axel Foley, premiered on Netflix earlier this year.
Judge Reinhold starred between the two men as the affable Detective Billy Rosewood.Ashton’s other credits include “M*A*S*H,” the 1987 John Hughes comedy-drama “Some Kind of Wonderful,” starring Lea Thompson and Eric Stoltz, and opposite Robert De Niro in the 1988 action-comedy “Midnight Run.”The sports fan later pivoted away from acting to co-host the “Ashton and Davis Show” on 870 ESPN Radio.Ashton’s rep Alan Somers also told TMZ, “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.
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