John Saxon - wikipedia John Saxon For other people named John Saxon, see John Saxon ( disambiguation ). John Saxon Saxon in 1975 Carmine Orrico ( 1935 - 08 - 05 ) August 5, 1935 ( age 82 ) Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. Occupation Film, television actor Years active 1954 -- present Spouse ( s ) Mary Ann Saxon ( 1967 - 1979 ) ( divorced ) ( 1 child ) Elizabeth Saxon ( 1987 - 1992 ) ( divorced ) Gloria Martel ( 2008 - present ) Children Antonio Saxon John Saxon ( born Carmine Orrico ; August 5, 1935 ) is an American actor and martial artist who has worked on more than 200 projects during a span of 60 years. Saxon is known for his work in westerns and horror films as well as for his role as Roper in the 1973 film Enter the Dragon, in which he starred alongside Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly. He is well known for playing Lt. Donald Thompson in the 1984 slasher horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Filmography 4 Selected television appearances 5 References 6 External links Early life Saxon, an Italian American, was born Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Anna ( née Protettore ) and Antonio Orrico, a dock worker. He attended New Utrecht High School, graduating in 1953. He then studied acting with famous acting coach Stella Adler. He started making films in the mid-1950s, playing teenage roles. According to Robert Hofler 's 2005 biography The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson : The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, agent Willson saw Saxon 's picture on the cover of a detective magazine and immediately contacted the boy 's family in Brooklyn. With parents ' permission, the 17 - year - old Orrico signed with Willson, and he was renamed John Saxon. He signed with Universal Studios in April 1954 at $150 a week. John Saxon is proficient in Judo and Shotokan Karate. Career Saxon at the 2014 Fan Expo Canada Saxon spent 18 months at Universal before they first used him in a film. His first significant role was a juvenile delinquent in Running Wild ( 1955 ), co-starring Mamie Van Doren. He impressed with a role in The Unguarded Moment ( Universal, 1956 ), playing a youth who seemingly stalks Esther Williams. In February 1956 Universal exercised their option on Saxon and he was paid $225 a week. He had the lead in a low budget teen film, Rock, Pretty Baby ( 1956 ) which became an unexpected hit and Saxon was a teen idol. Saxon reprised his role in a sequel, Summer Love ( 1957 ). At his peak he was getting 3,000 fan letters a week. Universal executives were pleased, and put Saxon in an `` A film '', This Happy Feeling ( 1958 ), directed by Blake Edwards, where Saxon romanced Debbie Reynolds in support of Curt Jurgens. MGM borrowed him to appear opposite Sandra Dee in The Reluctant Debutante ( 1958 ), for director Vincente Minnelli, which was widely seen. Public response was enthusiastic enough for Universal to reunite Saxon and Dee in The Restless Years ( 1958 ), a teen melodrama. Over at United Artists he was the lead in Cry Tough ( 1959 ), a film about juvenile delinquents. He had a support role in a big budget Biblical drama about Simon Peter, The Big Fisherman ( 1959 ) for director Frank Borzage. Saxon worked with another top director, John Huston, in the Western, The Unforgiven ( 1960 ), playing an Indian in support of Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. Back at Universal, he remained in a supporting role, but it was a good one : Portrait in Black ( 1960 ), reunited with Dee, with Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn. He was essentially a juvenile delinquent cowboy in The Plunderers ( 1960 ), tormenting Jeff Chandler. He stayed in Westerns in Posse from Hell ( 1961 ) with Audie Murphy. Saxon played a serial killer soldier War Hunt ( 1962 ), and had a small role in the comedy hit Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation ( 1962 ) then traveled to Italy to make Agostino ( 1962 ). In 1963 Saxon co-starred with Letícia Román in Mario Bava 's Italian giallo film The Girl Who Knew Too Much. He returned to Hollywood to appear in Otto Preminger 's The Cardinal ( 1963 ) then was back to Europe for The Cavern ( 1964 ). The Ravagers ( 1965 ) was shot in the Philippines ; Night Caller from Outer Space ( 1965 ) was a science fiction film shot in Britain. In 1966 he starred in Curtis Harrington 's Sci - Fi / Horror classic Queen of Blood with Basil Rathbone and Dennis Hopper, then appeared opposite Marlon Brando in The Appaloosa ( 1966 ), winning a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of a Mexican bandit. Saxon recalls, `` This was to me a terrific role and something I was ready for, but he ( Brando ) was despondent. He said he had lent a whole bunch of money to his father, and what he was saying to me was that his father ruined his life by losing all of his money. He was kind of bored in the picture. '' The Doomsday Flight ( 1966 ) was a made - for - TV movie. In an interview in 1966 he said `` I never felt comfortable being a teenage dreamboat... I regard myself as a craftsman. '' He portrayed Marco Polo in episode 26 of The Time Tunnel ( `` Attack of the Barbarians '' ), originally airing March 10, 1967, and was a guest star on Bonanza in 1967 ( `` The Conquistadores '' ). In episode 19, season 5 of The Virginian ( `` The Modoc Kid '' ) Saxon appeared in the title role alongside a young up and coming actor, appearing in one of his first speaking roles, Harrison Ford. And in 1969 he appeared in ( `` My Friend, My Enemy '' ). Saxon was in a sex comedy for Sam Katzman, For Singles Only ( 1968 ) and appeared in some Westerns, One Dollar Too Many ( 1968 ), Death of a Gunfighter ( 1969 ) and Joe Kidd ( 1972 ) ( again playing a Mexican, this time a revolutionary named Luis Chama ). I Kiss the Hand ( 1973 ) was a thriller made in Italy. He spent three years as Dr. Theodore Stuart on the series The Bold Ones : The New Doctors ( 1969 - 1972 ). He appeared in 1973 's Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee 's first starring role in a Hollywood feature. He was in action films : Mitchell ( 1974 ), The Swiss Conspiracy ( 1975 ), Strange Shadows in an Empty Room ( 1976 ), Napoli violenta ( 1976 ), Mark Strikes Again ( 1976 ), A Special Cop in Action ( 1976 ), Cross Shot ( 1976 ), The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist ( 1977 ). In 1974 he appeared as the police chief Fuller in the Canadian production of Black Christmas ; from 1974 -- 76, he appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man, first as Major Frederick Sloan and then as Nedlick. This role also extended into The Bionic Woman. The actor 's likeness was later used for the Kenner action - figure doll called ' Maskatron ' which was based on the series. Raid on Entebbe ( 1977 ) was a prestige TV movie. Moonshine County Express was a big hit for Roger Corman 's New World Pictures ; Saxon made another for that company, The Bees ( 1978 ). He appeared in a Bollywood movie, Shalimar ( 1978 ) then it was back to exploitation : Fast Company ( 1979 ), The Glove ( 1979 ). Saxon played Hunt Sears, head of a breakfast cereal conglomerate, opposite Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in the 1979, Oscar - nominated film The Electric Horseman. He appeared in the 1982 TV movie Rooster, and appeared in the last week of the game show Whew ! His extensive television credits include two years as Tony Cumson on Falcon Crest ( 1982, 1986 - 1988 ) as well as the recurring role of Rashid Ahmed on Dynasty ( 1982 - 1984 ). He appeared twice, in different roles, in The A-Team in 1983 and 1985. He played the role of Captain Radl in the two - part Wonder Woman episode `` The Feminine Mystique '' in 1976. Saxon has appeared in many Italian films, mainly in spaghetti western and police thriller genres. Titles from these genres include One Dollar Too Many ( 1968 ) and Napoli violenta ( 1976 ). He also was the second incarnation of Dylan Hunt from the Gene Roddenberry shows called Planet Earth and Strange New World. More recently, Saxon was a supporting player in horror films, such as Bob Clark 's Black Christmas ( 1974 ) as the relatively smart leader of a bunch of dumb cops ; in Dario Argento 's Tenebrae ( 1982 ) as the writer hero 's shifty agent ; in Mitchell ( 1975 ) as the murderous union lawyer and prostitute provider Walter Deaney ; in Battle Beyond the Stars ( 1980 ) as Sador ; in Cannibal Apocalypse ( 1980 ) where he played a Vietnam veteran tormented because his worthless pal bit him and years later, he is starting to get the urge to do the same ; in Prisoners of the Lost Universe as an alternate - universe warlord, and in Wes Craven 's A Nightmare on Elm Street ( 1984 ) as the heroine 's ( Nancy Thompson 's ) father. He reprised his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 : Dream Warriors ( 1987 ) and Wes Craven 's New Nightmare ( 1994 ) as he played himself in a dual role. He also made his directorial debut in 1987 with the horror film Zombie Death House, which starred Dennis Cole and Anthony Franciosa. He starred in Maximum Force ( 1992 ) as Captain Fuller and also appeared in From Dusk till Dawn ( 1996 ). In recent years, he has been in a number of independent films and has appeared in several television series, including CSI : Crime Scene Investigation and the Showtime series Masters of Horror. He was a special guest on the Creation Entertainment - Weekend of Horrors 2010 on 21 May in L.A. Filmography 1954 : It Should Happen to You as Boy Watching Argument in Park ( uncredited ) 1954 : A Star Is Born as Movie Premiere Usher ( uncredited ) 1955 : Running Wild as Vince Pomeroy 1956 : The Unguarded Moment as Leonard Bennett 1956 : Rock, Pretty Baby as Jimmy Daley 1957 : Summer Love as Jimmy Daley 1958 : This Happy Feeling as Bill Tremaine 1958 : The Reluctant Debutante as David Parkson 1958 : The Restless Years as Will Henderson 1959 : Cry Tough as Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada 1959 : The Big Fisherman as Prince Voldi 1960 : The Unforgiven as Johnny Portugal 1960 : Portrait in Black as Blake Richards 1960 : The Plunderers as Rondo 1961 : Posse from Hell as Seymour Kern 1962 : War Hunt as Pvt. Raymond Endore 1962 : Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation as Byron Grant 1962 : Agostino as Renzo 1963 : The Girl Who Knew Too Much as Dr. Marcello Bassi 1963 : The Cardinal as Benny Rampell 1964 : The Cavern as Pvt. Joe Cramer 1965 : The Ravagers ( In the Philippines : Only the Brave Know Hell ) as Capt. Kermit Dowling 1965 : The Night Caller as Dr. Jack Costain 1966 : Queen of Blood as Allan Brenner 1966 : The Appaloosa as Chuy 1966 : The Doomsday Flight as George Ducette 1967 : Winchester ' 73 ( TV Movie ) as Dakin McAdam 1968 : For Singles Only as Bret Hendley 1968 : One Dollar Too Many as Clay Watson 1969 : Death of a Gunfighter as Lou Trinidad 1971 : Mr Kingstreet 's War as Jim Kingstreet 1972 : Joe Kidd as Luis Chama 1973 : I Kiss the Hand as Gaspare Ardizzone 1973 : Enter the Dragon as Roper 1974 : Planet Earth as Dylan Hunt 1974 : Black Christmas as Lt. Ken Fuller 1975 : Metralleta ' Stein ' as Mariano Beltrán 1975 : Mitchell as Walter Deaney 1976 : The Swiss Conspiracy as Robert Hayes 1976 : Strange Shadows in an Empty Room as Sgt. Ned Matthews 1976 : Violent Naples as Francesco Capuano 1976 : Mark Strikes Again as Inspector Altman 1976 : A Special Cop in Action as Jean Albertelli 1976 : Raid on Entebbe as Gen. Benny Peled 1976 : Cross Shot as Commissioner Jacovella 1977 : The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist as DiMaggio 1977 : Moonshine County Express as J.B. Johnson 1977 : Tre soldi e la donna di classe 1978 : The Bees as John Norman 1978 : Shalimar as Col. Columbus 1979 : Fast Company as Phil Adamson 1979 : The Glove as Sam Kellog 1979 : The Electric Horseman as Hunt Sears 1980 : Beyond Evil as Larry Andrews 1980 : Cannibal Apocalypse as Norman Hopper 1980 : Battle Beyond the Stars as Sador 1980 : Running Scared as Captain Munoz 1981 : Blood Beach as Captain Pearson 1982 : Wrong Is Right as Homer Hubbard 1982 : Una di troppo as Sergio Puccini the notary 1982 : Scorpion with Two Tails as Arthur Barnard 1982 : Tenebrae as Bullmer 1982 : Desire as Joe Hale 1983 : Prisoners of the Lost Universe as Kleel 1983 : The Big Score as Davis 1984 : A Nightmare on Elm Street as Lt. Donald Thompson 1985 : Fever Pitch as Sports editor 1986 : Hands of Steel as Francis Turner 1987 : A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 : Dream Warriors as Donald Thompson 1987 : House Made of Dawn as Tosamah 1987 : Death House as Colonel Gordon Burgess 1988 : The Last Samurai 1988 : Nightmare Beach as Strycher 1989 : My Mom 's a Werewolf as Harry Thropen 1989 : Criminal Act as Herb Tamplin 1990 : Aftershock as Oliver Quinn 1990 : The Final Alliance as Ghost 1990 : Crossing the Line as Jack Kagan 1990 : Blood Salvage as Clifford Evans 1991 : The Arrival as Agent Mills 1992 : Maximum Force as Captain Fuller 1992 : Hellmaster as Professor Jones 1993 : The Baby Doll Murders as John Maglia 1993 : No Escape No Return as James Mitchell 1993 : Jonathan of the Bears as Fred Goodwin 1994 : Beverly Hills Cop III as Orrin Sanderson 1994 : Killing Obsession as Dr. Sachs 1994 : Wes Craven 's New Nightmare as Himself 1994 : Frame - Up II : The Cover - Up as Charles Searage 1996 : From Dusk till Dawn as FBI Agent Stanley Chase 1997 : The Killers Within as Detective Lewis 1997 : Lancelot : Guardian of Time as Wolvencroft 1998 : The Party Crashers as Mr. Foster 1998 : Joseph 's Gift as Jacob Keller 1999 : Criminal Minds as Antonio DiPaolo Jr. 2001 : Final Payback as Police Chief George Moreno 2001 : Night Class as Murphy 2002 : Outta Time as James Darabont 2003 : The Road Home as Michael Curtis 2006 : The Craving Heart as Richard Tom 2006 : Trapped Ashes as Leo ( story segments `` Stanley 's Girlfriend '' ) 2008 : God 's Ears as Lee Robinson 2009 : Old Dogs as Paul 2009 : War Wolves as Tony Ford 2009 : The Mercy Man as Father McMurray 2010 : Genghis Khan as Chiledu 2015 : The Extra as Victor Vallient Selected television appearances 1966 : Gunsmoke Season 12, Episode 8 `` The Whispering Tree '' as Virgil Stanley 1967 : The Time Tunnel Episode 26 `` Attack Of The Barbarians '' as Marco Polo 1967 : The Virginian Season 5, Episode 19 `` The Modoc Kid '' as Del Stetler 1967 : Bonanza Season 8, Episode 19 : `` Black Friday '' as Steve Friday 1967 : Bonanza Season 9, Episode 3 : `` The Conquistadors '' as Blas 1972 : Kung Fu Episode : `` The King of the Mountain '' as the bounty hunter 1973 : The Streets of San Francisco Episode : `` A Collection of Eagles '' as Vincent Hagopian 1973 : Police Story Episode : `` Death on Credit '' 1974 : The Mary Tyler Moore Show Season 5, Episode 8 `` Menage - a-Phyllis '' as Mike Tedesco 1974 : The Six Million Dollar Man Season 1 Episode 4 `` Day of the Robot as Major Fred Sloan 1975 : Gunsmoke Season 20, Episode 14 `` The Squaw '' as Gristy Calhoun 1976 : Wonder Woman Season 1, Episode 5 `` The Feminum Mystique Part 1 '' as Captain Radl 1976 : Wonder Woman Season 1, Episode 6 `` The Feminum Mystique Part 2 '' as Captain Radl 1976 : The Rockford Files Season 2, Episode 16 `` Portrait of Elizabeth '' as Dave Delaroux 1976 : Once an Eagle ( miniseries ) as Captain Townshend 1977 : 79 Park Avenue ( miniseries ) as Harry Vito 1977 : Quincy, M.E. Season 2 Episode 11 `` Sullied Be Thy Name '' as Charles Desskasa 1978 : The Immigrants as Alan Brocker 1979 : Hawaii Five - O Season 11, Episode 16 `` The Bark and the Bite '' as Harry Clive 1984 : Dynasty ( Rashid Ahmed, recurring character 1982 -- 1984 ) 1984 : Murder, She Wrote Episode : `` Hooray for Homicide '' as Jerry Lydecker 1988 : Murder, She Wrote Episode : `` A Very Good Year For Murder '' as son Marco Gambini 1994 : Murder, She Wrote Episode : `` Proof in the Pudding '' as Uncle Bernardo Bonelli References Jump up ^ Albert L. Ortega. `` Hollywood Show 2014 ''. Getty Images. Jump up ^ Hopper, Hedda ( September 1, 1957 ). `` John Saxon 's The Brooklyn Italian Type ''. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2007 - 12 - 10. Jump up ^ `` John Saxon Biography ( 1935 - ) ''. Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 31. Jump up ^ Hofler, Robert ( 2005 ). The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson : The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson. Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0 - 7867 - 1607 - X. Jump up ^ King, Susan ( October 21, 2012 ). `` John Saxon, Hollywood cool guy, remembers his ' Dragon ' days ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015 - 01 - 23. ^ Jump up to : `` Contracts of Two Young Film Players Approved : Mutual Congratulations Mark Meeting of Rena Clark and John Saxon in Court ''. Los Angeles Times. 16 Feb 1956. p. A1. Jump up ^ Inc, Active Interest Media ( 1 August 1973 ). `` Black Belt ''. Active Interest Media, Inc. Retrieved 3 January 2018 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Hopper, Hedda ( 1 Sep 1957 ). `` Saxon Draws Diverse Roles : Diverse Characters Played by John Saxon ''. Los Angeles Times. p. D1. Jump up ^ Beck, Joan ( 4 July 1960 ). `` John Saxon, Handsome, Moody Teen - Age Idol ''. Chicago Daily Tribune. p. a1. Jump up ^ King, Susan ( 21 October 2012 ). `` John Saxon, Hollywood cool guy, remembers his ' Dragon ' days ''. Retrieved 3 January 2018 -- via LA Times. Jump up ^ Alpert, Don ( 27 Mar 1966 ). `` John Saxon -- Teen Dreamboat on Calmer Seas ''. Los Angeles Times. p. b4. Jump up ^ `` Creation Weekend of Horrors - Get Your Tickets Before They 're All Gone ! ''. DreadCentral. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Saxon. John Saxon on IMDb John Saxon at AllMovie John Saxon at the TCM Movie Database John Saxon bio on ( re ) Search my Trash Personal website John Saxon 's quotes John Saxon ( Aveleyman ) hide Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year -- Actor Richard Widmark ( 1948 ) Gene Nelson / Richard Todd ( 1950 ) Kevin McCarthy ( 1952 ) Richard Burton ( 1953 ) Richard Egan / Steve Forrest / Hugh O'Brian ( 1954 ) Joe Adams / George Nader / Jeff Richards ( 1955 ) Ray Danton / Russ Tamblyn ( 1956 ) John Kerr / Paul Newman / Anthony Perkins ( 1957 ) James Garner / John Saxon / Patrick Wayne ( 1958 ) John Gavin / Bradford Dillman / Efrem Zimbalist Jr. ( 1959 ) George Hamilton / Barry Coe / Troy Donahue / James Shigeta ( 1960 ) Michael Callan / Mark Damon / Brett Halsey ( 1961 ) Warren Beatty / Richard Beymer / Bobby Darin ( 1962 ) Keir Dullea / Peter O'Toole / Omar Sharif / Terence Stamp ( 1963 ) Albert Finney / Stathis Giallelis / Robert Walker ( 1964 ) Harve Presnell / George Segal / Topol ( 1965 ) Robert Redford ( 1966 ) James Farentino ( 1967 ) Dustin Hoffman ( 1968 ) Leonard Whiting ( 1969 ) Jon Voight ( 1970 ) James Earl Jones ( 1971 ) Desi Arnaz Jr. ( 1972 ) Edward Albert ( 1973 ) Paul Le Mat ( 1974 ) Joseph Bottoms ( 1975 ) Brad Dourif ( 1976 ) Arnold Schwarzenegger ( 1977 ) Brad Davis ( 1979 ) Rick Schroder ( 1980 ) Timothy Hutton ( 1981 ) Ben Kingsley ( 1983 ) BIBSYS : 98074718 BNE : XX1487649 BNF : cb139813732 ( data ) GND : 1016901216 ISNI : 0000 0001 1598 8451 LCCN : no93038091 SNAC : w6m61s0c SUDOC : 067153666 VIAF : 14966960 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Saxon&oldid=845390290 '' Categories : 1935 births 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American people of Italian descent Living people Male actors from New York City Male actors of Italian descent Male Spaghetti Western actors People from Borough Park, Brooklyn American male judoka American male karateka Shotokan practitioners Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNE identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Deutsch Emiliàn e rumagnòl Español فارسی Français Hrvatski Italiano עברית Kiswahili Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Türkçe Українська 15 more Edit links This page was last edited on 11 June 2018, at 13 : 36 ( UTC ). 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Question: who played mr roper in enter the dragon
Answer: John Saxon