Actor Jon Cypher died on August 3 at his home in Central Point, Oregon, aged 94, according to his family.
His death was reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Cypher enjoyed a career spanning five decades across television, film, and the Broadway stage.
Cypher was best known for his television roles, including Police Chief Fletcher Daniels in the police drama Hill Street Blues and the Prince in CBS's 1957 live production of Cinderella.
Breakthrough Role in Cinderella
Cypher was virtually unknown when he was cast as the Prince opposite rising British star Julie Andrews in the original Rodgers and Hammerstein musical adaptation of Cinderella.
The lavish production was broadcast live and in color on CBS in March 1957. The broadcast drew more than 107 million viewers, reaching an audience of over 60 percent of American households, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Following his television success in Cinderella, Cypher made his Broadway debut in 1958.
Television and Film Career
Cypher reached millions of viewers as Police Chief Fletcher Daniels in Hill Street Blues, appearing in the recurring role across all seven seasons of the drama series.
He demonstrated his comedic range playing Brigadier General Marcus Craig in the CBS sitcom Major Dad. Starring alongside Gerald McRaney, Cypher appeared in 69 episodes during the final three seasons of the series from 1990 to 1993.
His television work included recurring roles in prime-time soap operas during the 1980s. Between 1982 and 1983, he played record producer Jeff Munson in CBS's Knots Landing, where his character discovered singer Ciji Dunne, played by Lisa Hartman. From 1983 to 1987, Cypher portrayed unethical lawyer Dirk Maurier in the ABC drama Dynasty.
Cypher also appeared in daytime soap operas including General Hospital and Santa Barbara.
In film, Cypher played an evil rancher alongside Burt Lancaster and Susan Clark in the 1971 western Valdez Is Coming, directed by Edwin Sheron. In 1987, he starred as the heroic warrior Man-at-Arms in Masters of the Universe, which featured Dolph Lundgren in the lead role.
Early Life and Broadway Work
Cypher was born in New York City on January 13, 1932. He attended Erasmus Hall High School on Flatbush Avenue and later graduated from Brooklyn College in 1953.
On stage, Cypher returned to Broadway in 1961 to understudy and later replace Patrick O'Neal as the Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon in the original production of Tennessee Williams' play The Night of the Iguana.
His other Broadway credits included playing Don Quixote in the musical Man of La Mancha and appearing in multiple roles in the original production of The Great White Hope.
