Born Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, NY in 1936, the teenaged boy who would become John Saxon had great acting ambition from an early age, studying with famed acting coach Stella Adler. Discovered by Universal, he was given $150 a week and his name was changed when he was just 17. Saxon would go on to have a prolific career, performing in over 200 projects, and best known for his work in Westerns and horror—particularly for his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
However, he also made his mark in the world of martial arts.