John Saxon, star of film and television, is dead at 83. Saxon is perhaps best remembered for his role as Lt. Don Thompson, father of Nancy Thompson, in Wes Craven's A Nightmare On Elm Street, which is often regarded as one of the most influential horror movies of all time. Saxon also appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, as well as dozens of other films and TV shows over his sixty-year career.
Born as Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn in 1936, Saxon was discovered by Henry Wilson, the agent who also discovered Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson (and was recently dramatized in the Nextflix series Hollywood). Saxon was discovered when he was just 17 years old. He flew to Hollywood, was quickly signed by Universal, and first received attention for 1956's The Unguarded Moment. After his breakthrough in that movie, he went on to play rock n' roll musicians in the 1956 film Rock, Pretty Baby, and 1958's Summer Love. As his career progressed, Saxon became known for portraying particularly macho characters, such as a bandit in 1966's The Appaloosa, a performance for which he won a Golden Globe. Saxon had a recurring role in the prime-time soap opera Dynasty as Rashid Ahmed, a Middle Eastern oil tycoon involved in a romance with Alexis Colby (Joan Collins). Saxon also appeared on Falcon Crest, another prime time soap from the same era, and the drama series The Bold Ones.
Saxon's wife, Gloria, told The Hollywood Reporter that he passed away in their home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Saturday following a bout with pneumonia. Saxon is survived by his wife, as well as his son, Antonio, and his sister, Dolores. Saxon had been mostly retired from acting since 2015.
Saxon's often portrayed particularly masculine characters not just on television but in films, and his roles commonly fell into the action and horror genres. In addition to A Nightmare On Elm Street, Saxon also appeared in the 1974 film Black Christmas and Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982). In both films, like A Nightmare On Elm Street, Saxon portrayed police officers. Saxon also appeared alongside Bruce Lee, in his first mainstream American film and the final role before his death, in the 1973 film Enter The Dragon. Saxon was featured in 1972's Joe Kidd alongside Clint Eastwood, and in 1975's Mitchell as a corrupt union lawyer. Later film roles included Fever Pitch (1985), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), and God's Ears (2008).
Over his six-decade career, Saxon demonstrated tremendous talent and versatility. While A Nightmare On Elm Street will almost certainly be the role by which future generations remember him, Saxon will also be remembered as an actor who changed with Hollywood, always able to carve out his own niche.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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