John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 â€" July 25, 2020) was
an American actor who worked on more than 200 projects during a span
of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films,
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,
appearing in such films as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in
Black (1961), which earned him a reputation as a teen idol and won him
a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year â€" Actor. During the
1970s and 1980s, he established himself as a character actor,
frequently portraying law enforcement officials in horror films such
as Black Christmas (1974), Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982), and A
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).In addition to his roles in horror
films, Saxon co-starred with Bruce Lee in the martial arts film Enter
the Dragon (1973), and he had supporting roles in the westerns The
Appaloosa (1966; for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe for
Best Supporting Actor â€" Motion Picture), Death of a Gunfighter
(1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), as well as the made-for-television
thriller Raid on Entebbe (1977). In the 1990s, Saxon occasionally
appeared in films, with small roles in Wes Craven's New Nightmare
(1994) and From Dusk till Dawn (1996).
an American actor who worked on more than 200 projects during a span
of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films,
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,
appearing in such films as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in
Black (1961), which earned him a reputation as a teen idol and won him
a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year â€" Actor. During the
1970s and 1980s, he established himself as a character actor,
frequently portraying law enforcement officials in horror films such
as Black Christmas (1974), Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982), and A
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).In addition to his roles in horror
films, Saxon co-starred with Bruce Lee in the martial arts film Enter
the Dragon (1973), and he had supporting roles in the westerns The
Appaloosa (1966; for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe for
Best Supporting Actor â€" Motion Picture), Death of a Gunfighter
(1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), as well as the made-for-television
thriller Raid on Entebbe (1977). In the 1990s, Saxon occasionally
appeared in films, with small roles in Wes Craven's New Nightmare
(1994) and From Dusk till Dawn (1996).
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