John Saxon, famed for his long acting career which began in the 1950s and spanned several cinematic classics of various genres, has passed away. He died of pneumonia at the age of 83.
Saxon made nearly 200 movie and television appearances, including the 1966 western The Appaloosa, 1973's Enter the Dragon, and three films in the Nightmare on Elm Street horror series.
Although Saxon was born in Brooklyn to Italian parents, he was frequently cast as different ethnicities in his earlier life, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican and Middle Eastern. He was also favored for "tough guy" roles, playing cops, cowboys and fighters.
Bruce Lee's iconic martial arts film Enter the Dragon (1973) featured Saxon in a major role as Roper, a competing martial artist. Although his skills were apparently not at the same level as other stars in the genre, Saxon did hold a black belt in karate in real life.
Lee was not the only screen legend to co-star with Saxon; he appeared in Clint Eastwood's Joe Kidd in 1972 and several other famed actors over the years.
Horror fans may know Saxon best as Donald Thompson, a police officer in the first and third Nightmare on Elm Street films. His character becomes one of the many victims of Freddy Krueger, but he still returned for one more film in the franchise, New Nightmare, in 1994.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)