Jon Cypher

He performed on Broadway, particularly in musical theatre.

• Name — Jon Cypher • Born — 13 January 1932 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 3 August 2026 • Place of death — Central Point, Oregon, U.S. • Education — Brooklyn College • Occupation — * Actor • singer • Years Active — 1957–2004

Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School (1949) and Brooklyn College (1953). Cypher later received a master's degree in marriage and family counseling from the University of Vermont.

Cypher made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role. He is particularly remembered as Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels in Hill Street Blues, a role he played throughout the run of the series (1981–87). He played Commanding General Marcus Craig on Major Dad, alongside Gerald McRaney and Beverly Archer, and appeared as Howard Millhouse in the short-lived television series Probe. He played Dr. Alex Keith on As the World Turns (1977–79) and Dr. Arthur Donnelly on Santa Barbara (1988–89). Other television credits include the recurring roles of Belson in The F.B.I., Dirk Maurier in Dynasty, Eric Brandon in Marcus Welby, M.D., and Jeff Munson in Knots Landing. He also voiced the villain Spellbinder in the animated television series Batman Beyond. He made his first film appearance as the villain Frank Tanner in the 1971 Western Valdez Is Coming opposite Burt Lancaster and Susan Clark. He took on the role of the heroic Man-At-Arms in the 1987 film Masters of the Universe. He also starred in an episode of Barnaby Jones entitled "Dangerous Gambit", which originally aired on February 26, 1976. Cypher has since appeared periodically in films up through the late 1990s, in mostly featured character parts. Cypher had an active career on the stage in both musicals and plays. In 1956, he appeared at Denver's Elitch Theatre, as the leading man for the summer stock cast, where productions included The Rainmaker, Noël Coward's Tonight at 8.30, and The Chalk Garden. He made his Broadway debut as Wister LaSalle in the original 1959 production of Harvey Breit's The Disenchanted. He returned to Broadway in 1962 to replace Patrick O'Neal as the Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon in the original production of Tennessee Williams's The Night of the Iguana. He portrayed the role of Dr. Carrasco in the original 1965 cast of Man of La Mancha, later taking over the role of Don Quixote. In 1967, he performed the role of Bert Jefferson in the original musical Sherry! by James Lipton and Laurence Rosenthal. His other Broadway credits include The Great White Hope, 1776, Coco, and Big: The Musical. Between 1990 and 1993, Cypher appeared in 69 episodes of the CBS comedy series Major Dad as Brigadier General Marcus Craig. On July 20, 1992, Cypher fell down a darkened stairway during a dress rehearsal for his role as Fagin in Oliver!. He broke his leg in two places and was forced to play Fagin while seated in a wheelchair. Cypher later sued the theater and a performance company in Pittsburgh for $20,000. In a 2013 interview, Cypher revealed that he still walked with a cane. In a 2014 interview, Cypher stated that poverty was the secret to his 47-year-long career.

Cypher was married to Ruth Wagner from 1965 to 1975. After they divorced, he married scientist Carol Rosin in 1986. Cypher died at his home in Central Point, Oregon, on August 3, 2026, at the age of 94.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1957 — Cinderella — Prince Christopher — Television film • Armstrong Circle Theatre — Richie Braman, Miklos — 2 episodes • 1962 — Our Five Daughters — Driscoll — 160 episodes • 1964 — NBC Children's Theatre — King Richard — Episode: "Robin Hood" • Flipper — Jim Lorman — Episode: "Countdown for Flipper" • 1967 — Coronet Blue — Ewan McBurney — Episode: "A Time to be Born" • 1970 — Nanny and the Professor — Professor Englund — Episode: "E.S. Putt" • 19711973 — The Doris Day Show — Sir Robert Kingsley — 2 episodes • 1972 — McMillan & Wife — John Thomas Clark — Episode: "The Face of Murder" • Mission: Impossible — Art Stafford — Episode: "Trapped" • Bonanza — Col. Cody Ransom — Episode: "A Place to Hide" • Mannix — Wallace Hunter, Phillip Lomax — 2 episodes • 1973 — Circle of Fear — Keith — Episode: "Legion of Demons" • 1974 — Cannon — Lt. Lou Hayes — Episode: "Bobby Loved Me" • Night Games — Dale Hannigan — Television film • The F.B.I. — Belson — Episode: "Survival" • The Rookies — Dr. Stafford — Episode: "Key Witness" • 1975 — Marcus Welby, M.D. — Eric Brandon — 4 episodes • 1976 — Barnaby Jones — Frank Dunlap — Episode: "Dangerous Gambit" • Bronk — Lundeen — Episode: "The Vigilante" • 1977 — Police Woman — Skip Arnold — Episode: "The Disco Killer" • The Feather and Father Gang — Cal Cooper — Episode: "Sun, Sand, and Death" • The Rockford Files — Michael Kelly — 2 episodes • 1978–1979 — As the World Turns — Dr. Alexander Keith — 2 episodes • 1979 — The Love Boat — Russell Evans — Episode: "Not Now, I'm Dying" • 1980 — Freebie and the Bean — Dwight Rollins — Episode: "Flying Aces" • 1981 — Evita Peron — Col. Imbert — Television film • General Hospital — Max Van Stadt — Episode #1.4687 • 1981–1983 — Trapper John, M.D. — Marshall Randolph, Andrew Forsyte — 2 episodes • 1981–1987 — Hill Street Blues — Chief Fletcher Daniels — Main cast; 71 episodes • 1982 — Today's F.B.I. — Le Duc — Episode: "Spy" • The Greatest American Hero — Richard Beller — Episode: "Now You See it" • 1982–1983 — Knots Landing — Jeff Munson — 12 episodes • 1983 — Knight Rider — George Atherton — Episode: "Soul Survivor" • 1983–1987 — Dynasty — Dirk E. Maurier — 10 episodes • 1985 — Malice in Wonderland — Dr. Harry 'Docky' Martin — Television film • Lime Street — Kyle Stoddard — Episode: "Odd Pilots Never Die" • 1986 — Hotel — Richard Copeland — Episode: "Triangles" • Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun — Dr. Peter Lattimore — Television film • 1986–1993 — Murder, She Wrote — Capt. Rory O'Neil, Nathan Swarthmore, Max Flynn — 3 episodes • 1987 — The Law & Harry McGraw — Sam Wallace — Episode: "Angela's Secret" • Hunter — Alan Shadwell — Episode: "Turning Point" • 1988 — Elvis and Me — Captain Joseph Paul Beaulieu — Television film • Probe — Howard Millhouse — 2 episodes • Lady Mobster — Alfred Mallory — Television film • Favorite Son — Bartholomew Scott — Episode: "Part One" • 1988–1989 — Santa Barbara — Dr. Arthur Donnelly — Recurring role; 57 episodes • Tour of Duty — Major General Goldman — 2 episodes • 1989 — Duet — John — Episode: "The Birth of a Saleswoman" • Open House — John Green — 2 episodes • 1990 — B.L. Stryker — Felix Renza — Episode: "High Rise" • Valerie — Mr. Edwards — Episode: "A Matter of Principal" • Snow Kill — Reid — Television film • 1990–1993 — Major Dad — General Marcus C. Craig — Main Role; 69 episodes • 1994 — Love & War — Anthony — Episode: "I've Got a Crush on You" • The Commish — Bill Kelton — Episode: "Dead Drunk" • RoboCop — General Eugene Omar — Episode: "Ghosts of War" • 1995 — Burke's Law — Ben Fletcher — Episode: "Who Killed the Motor Car Maverick?" • The Invaders — Sen. Alex Feinman — 2 episodes • 1995–2000 — Law & Order — Jerome Kamen, Harlan Graham — 2 episodes • 1996 — Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman — Preston Lodge — Episode: "The Tempest" • 1997 — Pinky and the Brain — Administrator (voice) — Episode: "Bah, Wilderness" • Profiler — Judge Neil MacGruder — Episode: "Power Corrupts" • 1998 — JAG — Frank Burnett — Episode: "To Russia with Love" • 1999 — Rescue 77 — Charles Bell — 2 episodes • Walker, Texas Ranger — Waylon Cox — Episode: "Full Recovery" • 1999–2000 — Batman Beyond — Ira Billings / Spellbinder (voice) — 3 episodes • 2000 — Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show — Colonel Coleman — Episode: "Honey, It's an Interplanetary, Extraordinary Life"

• Year — Title — Role — Venue — Type — Notes • 1958 — The Disenchanted — Wister LaSalle — Coronet Theatre — Broadway • 1961 — The Night of the Iguana — The Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon — Royale Theatre — U/s • 1963 — Jennie — Randolph of the Royal Mounted/Others — Majestic Theatre — Standby • 1964 — As You Like It — Lucille Lortel Theatre — Off-Broadway • 1965 — Man of La Mancha — Dr. Carrasco — Martin Beck Theatre — Broadway • The Wives — Herakles — Stage 73 — Off-Broadway • The Great Western Union — Robert — Bouwerie Lane Theatre • 1967 — Sherry! — Bert Jefferson — Alvin Theatre — Broadway • 1968 — The Great White Hope — Mr. Cameron/Others • 1969 — 1776 — Thomas Jefferson — 46th Street Theatre — Replacement • Coco — Papa — Mark Hellinger Theatre • 19701972 — 1776 — Thomas Jefferson — Touring production • 1971 — Coco — Julian Lesage • 1973 — Oliver! — Bill Sikes • 1980–1982 — Evita — Juan Perón • 1984 — 42nd Street — Julian Marsh • 1996 — Big — MacMillan — Shubert Theatre — Broadway