Jon Cypher(1932-2026)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
A commanding presence, New York native Jon Cypher began his acting career in Denver in 1956 as a lead in summer stock. He debuted on Broadway in 1959, later returning to appear in such seminal productions as The Night of the Iguana (Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon, a role played in the film version by Richard Burton) and Man of La Mancha (first as Dr. Carrasco, later taking over the lead role of Don Quixote). Throughout his career, the stage remained Cypher's favorite medium. He later declared "That’s where the passion is".
Cypher was born in New York and raised by a single mother, Estelle Friedlander Cypher, and her parents. He attended Erasmus Hall High School and Brooklyn College (both in Brooklyn, New York), graduating in 1953. Three years later, he acted in summer stock productions for the Historic Elitch Theatre, in Denver, Colorado. His first major screen role was as Prince Charming in a 1957 CBS Rodgers and Hammerstein production of Cinderella (1957), starring Julie Andrews. The film was said to have been viewed by more than 60% of American households. The standout role among Jon Cypher's rather infrequent big screen appearances was that of rancher Frank Tanner, Burt Lancaster’s chief nemesis in the Western film, Valdez Is Coming (1971).
Regularly employed on television from the early 70s, Cypher had featured roles in prime time shows like Mission: Impossible (1966), Mannix (1967), The F.B.I. (1965), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Rockford Files (1974), Murder, She Wrote (1984), RoboCop (1994) and Law & Order (1990). He enjoyed recurring roles on the soaps Knots Landing (1979) (Jeff Munson), Dynasty (1981) (lawyer Dirk Maurier) and Santa Barbara (1984) (the autocratic Dr. Arthur Donnelly), before coming to greater prominence as ambitious, ruthless, sleazy, womanizing Police Chief Fletcher Daniels in Hill Street Blues (1981). Cypher later co-starred as the spirited Marine Corps Brigadier General Marcus Craig, head of Camp Hollister, in 69 episodes of the CBS sitcom Major Dad (1989). Cypher's final screen credit was in 2004.
Jon Cypher died on August 3, 2026, aged 94.
Cypher was born in New York and raised by a single mother, Estelle Friedlander Cypher, and her parents. He attended Erasmus Hall High School and Brooklyn College (both in Brooklyn, New York), graduating in 1953. Three years later, he acted in summer stock productions for the Historic Elitch Theatre, in Denver, Colorado. His first major screen role was as Prince Charming in a 1957 CBS Rodgers and Hammerstein production of Cinderella (1957), starring Julie Andrews. The film was said to have been viewed by more than 60% of American households. The standout role among Jon Cypher's rather infrequent big screen appearances was that of rancher Frank Tanner, Burt Lancaster’s chief nemesis in the Western film, Valdez Is Coming (1971).
Regularly employed on television from the early 70s, Cypher had featured roles in prime time shows like Mission: Impossible (1966), Mannix (1967), The F.B.I. (1965), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Rockford Files (1974), Murder, She Wrote (1984), RoboCop (1994) and Law & Order (1990). He enjoyed recurring roles on the soaps Knots Landing (1979) (Jeff Munson), Dynasty (1981) (lawyer Dirk Maurier) and Santa Barbara (1984) (the autocratic Dr. Arthur Donnelly), before coming to greater prominence as ambitious, ruthless, sleazy, womanizing Police Chief Fletcher Daniels in Hill Street Blues (1981). Cypher later co-starred as the spirited Marine Corps Brigadier General Marcus Craig, head of Camp Hollister, in 69 episodes of the CBS sitcom Major Dad (1989). Cypher's final screen credit was in 2004.
Jon Cypher died on August 3, 2026, aged 94.
