Italian-American actor John Saxon: a legend of the Italian “Giallo” film movement

John Saxon, an Italian American, was born Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Antonio and Anna Orrico. His mother was born in Caserta, a small city near Naples, Italy. He is fluent in Italian (His ancestors left Italy for the US, but he has worked on and off in that part of Europe since the early 60's).

He studied acting with famous acting coach Stella Adler, and broke into films in the mid- 1950s, playing teenage roles. In his early career, Saxon worked with many notable directors, including Vincente Minnelli, Blake Edwards, John Huston, Frank Borzage, and Otto Preminger. In 1963, Saxon co-starred with Letícia Román in Mario Bava's Italian 'giallo' film The Girl Who Knew Too Much. In 1966 he won a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomina- tion for his portrayal of a Mexican bandit in the 1966 film The Appaloosa.

He also appeared in Bruce Lee's 1973 Hollywood debut Enter the Dragon, and starred in the hit film Nightmare on Elm Street. In 1975, he starred in several episodes of the ABC produced mega- hit series The Six Million Dollar Man, playing a number of characters, including the role of Major Frederick Sloan. He is a black belt in Karate.

John is currently working on several new projects and continues to make televisions appearances.

About 'On The Town'

'On The Town' is a weekly community show that airs every Saturday at 5 pm in San Jose and Campbell. Producer and Host Judy Verona Joseph is very active in the Italian community and many of her shows are Italian themed. For more information visit: onthetown15.com. The show is also on Facebook, at 'On The Town, San Jose'.

Judy Verona Joseph
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