People
John Saxon
Acting · follow into films and chains
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.
Notable films
Where to start
Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.
Enter the Dragon
Appears in a KinoChain journey
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
Appears in a KinoChain journey
A Nightmare on Elm Street
As Lt. Donald Thompson
From Dusk Till Dawn
As FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Beverly Hills Cop III
As Orrin Sanderson
Once an Eagle
As Capt. Townshend
Black Christmas
As Lt. Fuller
The Unforgiven
As Johnny Portugal
Chains
KinoChain journeys
Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.
The Bogeyman Never Dies
From Elm Street to Halloween, Scream to Candyman, horror icons keep returning in new forms. Freddy's Dead marked a strange end that became a beginning.
8 films
The Rivalry Within: How Feuds Shape the Soul
From duelling magicians to warring chefs, explore how rivalry reveals our deepest fears and desires. A cinematic journey through competition, obsession, and the...
8 films
Topics
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Related people
Collaborators & neighbours
Acted
The Unbeatable Bruce Lee
2001 · Self
From Dusk Till Dawn
1996 · FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
1994 · John Saxon / Lt. Donald Thompson
Beverly Hills Cop III
1994 · Orrin Sanderson
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1987 · Thompson
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984 · Lt. Donald Thompson
Prisoners of the Lost Universe
1983 · Kleel
Tenebre
1982 · Bullmer
Once an Eagle
1976 · Capt. Townshend
Black Christmas
1974 · Lt. Fuller
Enter the Dragon
1973 · Roper
Death of a Gunfighter
1969 · Lou Trinidad
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
1963 · Dr. Marcello Bassi
The Unforgiven
1960 · Johnny Portugal