‘Beverly Hills Cop’ 1984: See the Stars Then and Now + Insider Info on the Fourth Movie!

Certain films stand out not just as box office successes but as cultural touchstones that define an era. Beverly Hills Cop (1984), directed by Martin Brest, is one such movie. With its blend of action, comedy and a memorable lead performance by Eddie Murphy, Beverly Hills Cop became a phenomenon, spawning sequels, influencing a generation of filmmakers and leaving an indelible mark on popular culture.

Beverly Hills Cop follows the story of Detroit police detective Axel Foley, played by Eddie Murphy, who travels to Beverly Hills to solve the murder of his childhood friend. Despite being warned by his superiors to stay away, Foley's streetwise tactics clash with the upscale Beverly Hills police department, leading to a series of hilarious and action-packed encounters as he navigates the unfamiliar terrain of the wealthy enclave.

The film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, known for their penchant for high-octane, crowd-pleasing cinema. The screenplay, originally penned by Daniel Petrie Jr., underwent revisions by multiple writers, including Steven E. de Souza, to tailor the script to Eddie Murphy's comedic style.

Upon its release in December 1984, Beverly Hills Cop was an instant hit, earning widespread critical acclaim and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. Audiences were captivated by Murphy's charismatic performance as Axel Foley, and the film's blend of action and humor struck a chord with viewers of all ages. Its success not only solidified Eddie Murphy's status as a leading man but also elevated the buddy cop genre to new heights.

Beverly Hills Cop quickly became a successful franchise and the fourth movie Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is slated to come out July 3, 2024 on Netflix. Eddie Murphy will be the star and fellow castmates Reinhold, Ashton, will join him for the fourth installment.

Here, we look at the cast members of Beverly Hills Cop.

Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley

Born on April 3, 1961, in New York City, Eddie Murphy played the lead role of Axel Foley, a wise-cracking Detroit detective.

Murphy rose to fame as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1980-1984) and gained further recognition with roles in 48 Hrs. (1982) and Trading Places (1983).

After the blockbuster Beverly Hills Cop came out in 1984, Murphy's career continued to soar with hits like Coming to America (1988), The Nutty Professor (1996) and the Shrek franchise. He also had success on TV where he created and starred in The PJs series (1999-2001).

His most recent movies include Coming 2 America (2021), You People (2023) and Candy Cane Lane (2023).

He remains one of Hollywood's most influential and beloved actors and comedians.

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Judge Reinhold as Detective William "Billy" Rosewood: Beverly Hills Cop

Born on May 21, 1957, in Wilmington, Delaware, Judge Reinhold played the character of Detective William "Billy" Rosewood, a well-meaning but bumbling Beverly Hills detective.

Reinhold (born Edward Ernest "Judge" Reinhold Jr.) did several popular films prior to Beverly Hills Cop. He starred in Stripes (1981) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), before landing the role in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. He then appeared in Ruthless People (1986) and starred in The Santa Clause movie franchise (1994, 2002 and 2006).

Reinhold also made a memorable appearance in Seinfeld as the close talker and was nominated for an Emmy for his role. He was also in Steven Spielberg's miniseries Into the West.

Recently, in 2023, he appeared on stage in the Neil Simon's comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor. His next project is Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F where he will reprise his role as Detective Billy Rosewood.

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John Ashton as Sergeant John Taggart

Born February 22, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts, John Ashton played the character of Sergeant John Taggart, a grizzled veteran cop partnered with Rosewood.

Prior to playing Sergeant John Taggart, Ashton was in several movies included An Eye for an Eye (1973), Breaking Away (1979), Borderline (1980) and Honky Tonk Freeway (1981).

He then starred in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies playing the role of Detective Sergeant John Taggart—he was an instant hit with audiences. In 1987 he appeared in the John Hughes movie Some Kind of Wonderful; he played the dad of Eric Stoltz's character. He also appeared in the 1988 movie She's Having a Baby and that same year he appeared in Midnight Run opposite Robert De Niro's character.

In 2007 he was in the Ben Affleck-directed movie Gone Baby Gone. Most recently in 2023 he appeared in the movie Lonesome Soldier. He will be returning to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise when the latest movie comes out in July.

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Lisa Eilbacher as Jeannette "Jenny" Summers: Beverly Hills Cop

Born on May 5, 1956, in Saudi Arabia, Lisa Eilbacher was the daughter of an American oil executive. She starred as Jenny Summers, Axel Foley's childhood friend in Beverly Hills Cop.

Prior to that role, she starred as the memorable Naval Aviation Officer Candidate Casey Seeger in an Officer and a Gentleman. Her character was the woman who nearly flunked out of the program due to her inability to complete the obstacle course (and climb the wall).

From 1990-1991 she starred as Nicky Molloy in the TV series Midnight Caller. From there, she appeared in a number of made for TV movies including 1995’s Dazzle and 919 Fifth Avenue.

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Ronny Cox as Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil

Born on July 23, 1938, in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, Ronny Cox played the role of Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop.

Prior to that role, he was in several films including Deliverance (1972) Bound for Glory (1976), and Taps (1981). After appearing in the first two Beverly Hills Cops movies, Cox went on to play RoboCop (1987).

He’s also been prolific on TV. In addition to guest apparencies on many shows, he was a regular on numerous shows including Spencer (1984-1985) St. Elsewhere (1987-88), Sweet Justice (1994-95), The Agency (2001), Stargate SG-1 (1998-2005) Starter Wife (2008) and Nashville (2018). He also did voice work in the Star Trek: Prodigy animated series in 2022.

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Steven Berkoff as Victor Maitland: Beverly Hills Cop

Born on August 3, 1937, in London, England, Steven Berkoff played the role of Victor Maitland the main antagonist, a wealthy art dealer involved in criminal activities.

Berkoff got his start in the theater before he started playing villains in films. He played the role of General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Lieutenant Podovsky in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Adolf Hitler in War and Remembrance (1988–89). He also played Frode in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).

He did TV work as well, and played the role of Girolamo in The Borgias (2011-2012), King Nikolaus in the series Witches of East End (2014) and King Olaf Stout in Vikings (2019-2020).

Most recently, he was in the 2024 movies The Can and The Phantom Warrior.

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