John Saxon, the actor, who has died aged 83, was probably best-known for his role as the martial artist Roper in Enter the Dragon (1973), Bruce Lee’s final film and the one which made him a star beyond Asia. By then, Saxon had already tasted stardom himself, and though often still cast for his handsome looks he was leaving behind his years as a leading man to become more of an authority figure character actor. Paradoxically, this ultimately enabled him to show the range of which he was capable in what proved, for a teen idol of the 1950s, a notably long career. Spotted by a scout coming out of a cinema in Times Square when he should have been in high school, Saxon began as a photographic model. The agent Henry Willson, who promoted good-looking “beefcake” actors such as Rock Hudson, soon noticed a magazine shot of Saxon. Within days, he had a Hollywood contract – though as he was under age his parents signed it for him.
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