After 42 years I’ve just realised that the man who fires the machine gun, from the balcony at Foley and Taggart at the end of Beverly Hills Cop is Ken Doherty

After 42 years I’ve just realised that the man who fires the machine gun, from the balcony at Foley and Taggart at the end of Beverly Hills Cop is Ken Doherty

 

 

 

Fans of classic action films and snooker alike were left stunned this week after a surprising discovery connected two completely different worlds together. After more than four decades, viewers have realised that the man firing the machine gun from the balcony during the explosive finale of Beverly Hills Cop bears an uncanny resemblance to snooker legend Ken Doherty.

The viral observation began circulating online when movie fans revisited the iconic closing shootout involving detectives Billy Rosewood and John Taggart as they storm Victor Maitland’s mansion alongside Axel Foley, famously played by Eddie Murphy. During the chaotic balcony gunfight scene, one of Maitland’s armed henchmen briefly appears with a heavy machine gun — and viewers immediately noticed how much he looked like a young Ken Doherty.

Of course, there is one major issue with the theory: the timing simply does not add up.

Released in 1984, Beverly Hills Cop hit cinemas when Doherty was still a teenager in Ireland and years away from becoming one of snooker’s biggest stars. At the time, the future world champion was focused entirely on developing his cue sport career rather than appearing in Hollywood action films.

Still, that has not stopped fans from enjoying the bizarre resemblance. Social media users joked that Doherty had secretly enjoyed a second career as an action-movie villain before lifting the World Snooker Championship title in 1997. Others claimed the mystery gunman looked so much like the Irishman that they had to rewind the scene multiple times to check for themselves.

Doherty, known affectionately in the snooker world as “The Darling of Dublin,” became one of the sport’s most respected figures during the 1990s and early 2000s. His greatest achievement came when he defeated Stephen Hendry in the final of the 1997 World Championship at the Crucible Theatre, ending Hendry’s dominance and becoming the first Irish player to win the modern-era world title.

Since retiring from full-time competition, Doherty has remained heavily involved in snooker as a pundit, commentator and ambassador for the sport. His calm personality and sharp analysis have made him a popular figure with fans across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Meanwhile, Beverly Hills Cop continues to enjoy legendary status more than 40 years after its release. The film helped establish Eddie Murphy as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and became one of the defining action-comedies of the 1980s. Its memorable soundtrack, fast-paced humour and unforgettable action scenes still attract new viewers today.

The balcony gunfight involving Foley and Taggart remains one of the movie’s standout moments, which perhaps explains why viewers are still spotting new details decades later. Whether or not the mystery henchman truly resembles Ken Doherty may depend on the eye of the beholder, but the comparison has certainly entertained fans online.

For snooker supporters, the idea of a future world champion secretly appearing in a Hollywood blockbuster before conquering the Crucible is simply too funny to ignore.