RIP Phil Lyne

 

Legendary ProRodeo Hall of Famer Phil Lyne passes away

Pro Rodeo

By Tracy Renck

August 15, 2026

 

ProRodeo Hall of Famer Phil Lyne, considered one of the best cowboys in PRORODEO history, passed away Aug. 14 in Cotulla, Texas. He was 79.

Lyne's decorated PRORODEO career was highlighted by him winning the Rodeo Cowboys Association – the precursor to the PRCA – All-Around World Championships in 1971 and 1972 and the Tie-Down Roping World Championships in 1971 and 1972 as well.

Then, he captured the 1990 PRCA Steer Roping World Championships.

He also shined when the spotlight was the brightest at the National Finals Rodeo and National Finals Steer Roping. He won the tie-down roping average in 1971 and 1972, the 1972 bull riding average and the NFSR average in 1983 and 1986.

Lyne was the 1969 RCA Overall Rookie of the Year, and he also won the Linderman Award – an honor given to select cowboys willing and able to perform at both ends of the arena –  in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1976. 

"We crossed paths quite a few times – and I sure thought a lot of him, and he was definitely a hero of mine," said ProRodeo Hall of Famer Ty Murray, a nine-time PRCA World Champion to the PRORODEO Sports News. "He's absolutely one of the greatest to ever play the game and the most versatile. Then, you look at the span between his world championships, it's a big span. He was a Hell of a competitor, and it's crazy to me to see somebody that can do it that good and for that long. I had so much respect and admiration for Phil."

Bobby Steiner, the 1973 RCA Bull Riding World Champion, became friends with Lyne in the late 1960s and was well aware of how talented Lyne was in the arena.

"I first started on a permit in, like, 1968. And Phil was college rodeoing – and there was talk of him then. You know, he was just that guy," Steiner said. "I'm just glad he was really more serious about his calf roping and didn't go as hard in bull riding because he was just one of the toughest guys to get on the ground ever. He was just that tough, so you knew you were going to have to beat him.

"I'm glad he took roping more seriously and the all-around fit in his plans with bull riding. He never dedicated himself to being the champ in bull riding. You know what I mean? He was a champion calf roper, but he could kick your ass in a bull riding. The top three cowboys (of all-time) in my book are Larry Mahan, Ty Murray and Phil Lyne."

Lyne qualified for the NFR six times – tie-down roping (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973); and bull riding (1971, 1972). He added 10 more qualifications to the National Finals Steer Roping – 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990.

"I was never one of those people who set goals," Lyne said in "A Complete History of the First 50 Years of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo". "I just wanted to do my best every time I went out there. I always thought that when you set a goal, you gave yourself a stopping point. I just always wanted to be the best I could be from the day I started rodeo in high school. I loved doing it. I started calf roping and eventually started riding bulls. Everything just fell into place for me all along the line.

"After a while, I would get to an airport pretty loaded up with stuff, but I liked doing it all. I had friends in every event, and they helped me out a lot. When I was steer wrestling, I rode horses that belonged to Jim Smith and Roy Duvall."

Lyne was inducted into the 1979 inaugural class of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Lyne grew up in George West, Texas. He started out in the Texas Youth Rodeo Association, then the National High School Rodeo Association, and the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association at several Texas colleges starting and ending up with Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, with stints at colleges in Uvalde and San Marcos. By the time Lyne entered PRORODEO in 1969, he had won 42 saddles and quite a bit of prize money.

"He was a hero of mine. I mean, he is to a lot of people," said fellow ProRodeo Hall of Famer Guy Allen, who won a record 18 PRCA Steer Roping World Championships. "And he was a super, super great guy. I mean, as honest as the day is long. He's one of the best guys you'd ever know. I think what made him so great was his desire to win. He wanted to win. He didn't want to just compete and hear his name called. He wanted to win. What made him so successful was the effort that he put into practice. It was full contact with him when he practiced. He wasn't out there just to pass the time. He was out there to rope and win. He practiced, and he practiced hard. That's what made Phil Lyne great, the practice and the work ethic that he put into it."

Allen and Lyne traveled together for five years in the late 1980s.

"We used to also enter some rodeos in team roping together," Allen said. "I was heading and he was heeling. I didn't have a (steer roping) horse for one year, and he had a backup. So, I rode his backup horse, and he rode his good one. Then, I'd head on his good (steer roping) horse, and he'd heel on his backup. We had an inline trailer and a station wagon, and we drove around to rodeos."

When Lyne won his 1990 PRCA Steer Roping World Championship, it was Allen who finished second. The title was decided in Round 10.

Lyne, 43 at the time, turned in a disappointing 19.3-second run after he missed with his first loop and was forced to throw a second. Allen answered with a quick 12.7-second performance – but a broken barrier pushed that time to 22.7 seconds. That allowed Lyne to capture the title with $39,854 by a mere $85 over Allen.

"We were traveling together and we were winning first and second," Allen said. "I was ahead of him going into the (NFSR), and then we roped there. He was still in the average, and I'd went out of the average. It's kind of a funny story, really. His wife, Sarah Kay, came up to me and said, 'God let him win.' I said, 'Sarah Kay, I'm not going to let him win.' I broke the barrier and probably could've won, but it wasn't on purpose. I'll promise you that."

Tanner Green, Lyne's grandson, and PRCA tie-down roper and team roper, relished the time he spent with his legendary grandfather.

"As a kid, I – it was very hard to learn from him because he was very natural at everything. So as a kid, it was pretty hard because he really didn't break stuff down," Green said. "But now that I'm older, I see what he was doing and I understand it better. He's the reason I am the way I am, and I will never do what he did in the rodeo world, but he taught me how to be humble and not let the highs get too high and the lows get too low.

"He was the reason I did it, and he's the only reason I could go. He taught me everything. I lived with him for all my life, 28 years, and he taught me everything. He was a dad to me, is what he was. He was my dad."

LYNE WAS A HUMBLE LEGEND

As talented Lyne was, what set him apart was how humble he was about his accomplishments.

 

"Phil was just a cowboy. I mean, nothing ever went to his head at all. He was a hunter and a cowboy, and that's what he was every day," Steiner said. "There are not many people who you can say that about, but he was just a talented guy who in his mind was just a basic cowboy. He would talk to you and stuff, but he never was about, 'Man, I did this,' or, 'I did that.' You'd never know (about his accomplishments)."

Murray also appreciated Lyne's demeanor.

"He was such a gentleman. He always gave me a lot of praise and every time I would see him, I got my picture taken with him. Every time," Murray said. "To me, he just seemed like a world-class human being. He was not a flamboyant guy. He was not a guy who was seeking attention. Larry (Mahan) was a lot more flamboyant and a lot more out there with the media. And I think Phil always just kind of shied away from that. I think Phil mainly just liked doing cowboy stuff.

"I just thought he was always such a classy guy every time I was around him. It also felt like he and I totally understood each other."

Green summed up his grandfather's legacy perfectly.

"You almost had to pry the rodeo talk out of him. He really didn't talk about it very much," Green said. "He'd rather talk about coyote hunting or something like his cow dogs. He wasn't big on talking about rodeo and himself. He did what he wanted to, and he hung it up and never went back and never looked back.

"There will never ever be another Phil Lyne. I don't think there will ever be a man as tough, as humble, or as handy as him ever again. I'm not saying that because he was my granddad. I mean, that's the toughest human being I think I've ever seen."

Lyne is survived by his wife, Sarah; and daughters, Amanda and Samantha, who qualified for the 2014 NFR in barrel racing and is married to world champion bull rider JB Mauney.

LYNE, Phil (Philip Lyne)

Born: 1/18/1947, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 8/14/2026, Cotulla, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Phil Lyne’s western – himself:

The Great American Cowboy - 1974

RIP Mark Rydell

 

Mark Rydell, ‘On Golden Pond’ and ‘The Rose’ Director, Dies at 97

Variety

By Carmel Dagan

August 14, 2026

 

Mark Rydell, who received a best director nomination for the Oscar-winning “On Golden Pond” and directed Bette Midler in “The Rose” and “For the Boys,” died Friday. He was 97.

Midler posted about his death on her Instagram, writing, “Mark Rydell, the director or my first film, The Rose, died this morning. He was an actor of note before he became a director, and I was so lucky to have met him when I did; he taught me so much on The Rose and later on For The Boys. Two Oscars nominations both because of him. He was the actor’s whisperer; just a few words was all it took to understand what was needed. Devoted to Meisner. So many happy memories.”

He started his directing career in television before graduating to film in the late ’60s with an adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s “The Fox.”

As a director he elicited strong performances from his actors, guiding Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn to Oscars and Jane Fonda to a supporting actress nomination for “On Golden Pond” in 1981. He had previously worked similar magic for Midler in her screen debut, “The Rose” (and later in her career in “For the Boys”); Marsha Mason in “Cinderella Liberty”; Sissy Spacek in “The River”; and Rupert Crosse, who drew a supporting nom for 1969’s “The Reivers.”

His greatest screen success was “On Golden Pond,” adapted from Ernest Thompson’s stage drama about family relationships. It was nominated for best picture and brought Rydell a directing nom. The seriously ill Henry Fonda won an Oscar in what would be his last starring role — and his only co-starring role with daughter Jane, who was also nominated. Hepburn won an unprecedented fourth acting Oscar for her work, and Thompson won for adapting his work to the screen.

In front of the camera he started as an actor on the soap opera “As the World Turns” in the 1950s and made his feature debut as a juvenile delinquent in the gritty 1956 drama “Crime in the Streets,” and he appeared on Broadway “Seagulls Over Sorrento,” “Handful of Fire” and “Moonbirds” during the period; in later years he would take on the occasional supporting role, most impressively as the psychotic gangster in Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye” — the kind of performance that would have made the career of a full-time working actor.

But Rydell preferred to direct, if somewhat sporadically, and to produce, forming a partnership with Sydney Pollock in the mid-1980s, Sanford Prods.

The young actor had crossed behind the camera by the early ’60s, racking up an impressive resume of episodic television helming credits, including episodes of “Gunsmoke,” “Ben Casey,” “The Fugitive,” “I Spy” and “The Wild, Wild West.” His reputation for speed and for drawing smart performances led to his first film directing job, “The Fox,” a controversial love triangle story that raised the hackles of censors (for lesbian content and a famous masturbation scene) but was warmly received by arthouse audiences in the late ’60s. The film starred Sandy Dennis and Keir Dullea.

Next up was Western comedy “The Reivers,” a star vehicle for Steve McQueen, which brought Crosse an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor. Three years later in 1972 he directed (and produced) another Western, “The Cowboys,” starring John Wayne. The following year he also did double duty on the romantic drama “Cinderella Liberty,” starring James Caan and Mason, for which Mason picked up an Oscar nomination. That same year he made an indelible impression in front of the cameras as gangster Marty Augustine in Robert Altman’s adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s “The Long Goodbye,” starring Elliott Gould.

His 1976 period comedy “Harry and Walter Go to New York” was one of his lesser efforts despite an all-star cast of Caan, Gould and Diane Keaton. He bounced back in 1979 with “The Rose,” a fictionalized version of the short, tempestuous life of Janis Joplin, expertly taking Midler through her feature debut perf, for which she was awarded her first Oscar nomination. He would later guide her to another nomination as a wartime USO performer with shades of Martha Raye in “For the Boys” in 1991.

In 1981 came the achievement of “On Golden Pond.”

Though he was now a feature director and occasional actor, Rydell also served as an executive consultant on the critically lauded ABC drama “Family” from 1976-80.

The 1984 heartland drama “The River” was not a notable success, though it brought Sissy Spacek another Oscar nomination as best actress. Rydell took a break from directing to star in the standup comedy drama “Punchline” and as another gangster, Meyer Lansky, in his friend Pollock’s “Havana.”

In 1991, while directing “For the Boys,” he also produced a small rural drama, “The Man in the Moon,” starring Sam Waterston. His 1994 marital drama “Intersection,” starring Richard Gere and Sharon Stone, was moderately successful.

He returned to television in 1996 to direct “Crime of the Century,” about the Lindbergh kidnapping case, for HBO. In 2001 he helmed the critically acclaimed TNT telepic “James Dean,” starring James Franco, and drawing 11 Emmy nominations including best director.

Rydell returned to the bigscreen to direct “Even Money,” starring Kim Basinger, Kelsey Grammer and Forest Whitaker and centering gambling addiction, in 2006. His last helming effort was a 2007 episode of the ABC series “Masters of Science Fiction,” hosted by Stephen Hawking.

Rydell continued his acting work. In the 2000s he appeared in his own “James Dean” (playing studio mogul Jack Warner) and “Even Money,” as well as in Woody Allen’s “Hollywood Ending” and an episode of “Everwood.” And in 2006 he returned to the stage to star in an Elaine May trilogy of one-acts in San Francisco.

Mortimer H. Rydell was born in New York and attended the Juilliard School of Music, training as an actor both at the Neighborhood Playhouse and at the Actors Studio. In the 1950s, he appeared on Broadway while working as a jazz pianist to earn extra money. For six years he starred in “As the World Turns” before his character was killed off. He also worked as an actor in television in episodes of such series as “Wanted: Dead or Alive” before moving into directing for TV and then for the bigscreen.

He is survived by three children, Amy, Christopher, both actors; and Alexander, an editor.

RYDELL, Mark (Mortimer Harold Rydell)

Born: 3/23/1929, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 8/13/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Mark Rydell’s westerns – producer, director, actor:

Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV) – 1960 (Tom Adams)

The Virginian (TV) – 1963 [director]

Gunsmoke (TV) – 1964-1966 [director]

The Wild Wild West (TV) - 1966 [director]

The Cowboys – 1972 [producer, director]

RIP Silvia Monti

 

Silvia Monti, actress and wife of Carlo De Benedetti, has died

He was 80 years old. Success had come with "As long as there is war there is hope", directed and performed by Alberto Sordi

FQ Magazine

August 12, 2026

 

Silvia Monti, actress and wife of entrepreneur Carlo De Benedetti, died after an illness. She was 80 years old. For several years she worked in cinema.

In 1974 success came with "Finché c’è guerra c’è speranza", directed and starring Alberto Sordi. The actress played the character of Silvia, the wife of the protagonist Pietro Chiocca (Sordi himself), who supports and enjoys the high standard of living and luxuries guaranteed by her husband's business in the international arms trade. At the height of his popularity, Monti decided to abandon the big screen and retire from public life.

Life and career

Born Silvia Cornacchia on January 23, 1946 in Bassano del Grappa, in the province of Vicenza, she was a well-known face of Italian cinema between the late sixties and the first half of the seventies.

Over the course of a few years she had worked with directors such as Alberto Lattuada, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, Gérard Oury, Lucio Fulci, Luigi Bazzoni and Alberto Sordi. After leaving the cinema, she married the Venetian count Luigi Donà dalle Rose with whom she had two children, Leonardo and Una. The couple separated in 1994. On July 10, 1997, the former actress remarried entrepreneur Carlo De Benedetti, with whom she remained linked for almost three decades and with whom she moved to Lugano, Switzerland, where she lived in recent years.

Silvia Monti's debut on the big screen came in 1969 with Alberto Lattuada's "Fräulein Doktor", where she had a small part. In the same year she starred in "Metti, una sera a cena" by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, "Il cervello" by Gérard Oury and "Sai cosa faceva Stalin alle donne?" by Maurizio Liverani. In the following years, some of the best-known titles in his filmography had arrived. In 1971 she took part in "A lizard with a woman's skin" by Lucio Fulci, "Black day for the ram" by Luigi Bazzoni and "The black corsair" by Lorenzo Gicca Palli.

In 1972 she was part of the cast of "Afyon – Oppio" by Ferdinando Baldi. Then, she worked in "Sono stato io!" by Lattuada, "Peccato d'amore", "La mano spietata della legge" by Mario Gariazzo, "Il domestico" and "Milano: il clan dei calabresi".

MONTI, Silvia

Born: 1/23/1946, Bassano del Grappa, Veneto, Italy

Died: 8/12/2026, Lugano, Switzerland

 

Silvia Monti’s western – actress:

Judge Roy Bean – 1971 (Cat/Katy)

RIP Jerry Katzman

 

Jerry Katzman Dies: Former WMA President Was 89

DEADLINE

By Nellie Andreeva

August 10, 2026

 

Jerry Katzman, a 30-year veteran of the William Morris Agency who served as President and Vice Chairman in the 1990s and helped shape modern television packaging, died August 9 in Los Angeles surrounded by family. He was 89.

Born in a showbiz family, with a producer father and an actress mother, Katzman graduated from Beverly Hills High School, UC Berkeley and UCLA Law School. After briefly practicing law, he worked in film production with his King of B-movies father Sam Katzman in the 1960s and early 1970s on such titles as Elvis Presley’s Kissin’ Cousins and Harum Scarum, Roy Orbison’s Fastest Guitar Alive, and Peter Noone’s Hold On!

His entertainment industry path locked in, Katzman joined William Morris in 1972, starting in Business Affairs before transitioning to become a packaging agent in the TV department. He rose through the ranks to Head of Worldwide Television and then President and Vice Chairman.

The series he helped package by assembling creative talent and other key elements include The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Murphy Brown, Murder She Wrote and Roseanne.

Known as a trusted Hollywood advisor and mentor throughout his career, Katzman left WMA at the end of 2001 to join the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television as a faculty member, teaching in the Producers Program and serving as one of the school’s liaisons with the entertainment industry. He also worked as a consultant to entertainment companies, including management and production firm Anonymous Content, and did a stint as President of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society

“Katzman was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was admired by so many as a mentor. He was a fearless leader, firm and decisive in his actions, who faced challenging decisions with great thoughtfulness,” the family said. “He had the grit to take on the difficult circumstances that inevitably transpire over a lifetime through a resilience rooted in his desire to celebrate every meaningful moment. Katzman had an amazing life, and he fought Parkinson’s with dignity and grace for so many years.”

Outside of showbiz, Katzman maintained decades-long friendships, some dating back to elementary school. His favorite things included traveling, art, music, movies, theatre, the Dodgers, golf and Cappuccino ice cream.

Katzman shared a 66-year marriage with his wife, Carol Sinn, whom he met at UC Berkeley when she was 18 and he was 20. Together they built a life centered on family, travel and gatherings with friends. He loved spending time with his kids and grandkids and together with Carol never missed an opportunity to celebrate every birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation and holiday.

In addition to Carol, Katzman is survived by his children Jeff (Joanna), producer Jon (Zukhra), and Kari (Jim Kramer); grandchildren Jackie (Nick Rekenthaler), William, Neil, Josh, Jenna, Roland and Audrey; great-granddaughter Naomi Juliette; sister-in-law, Marji (Roger) Davisson; niece Rebecca Sperling (Deb Little). nephew Alan Sperling (Brandy), niece Julie Davsson Liegl (Jeremy), Ross Davvison (Abby), and their children, and cousin David Inlander (Beth).

Services will be held August 13 at Hillside Memorial Park at noon PT.

Those who would like to honor Katzman’s memory can consider supporting the following organizations or a charity of their choice: UCLA Parkinson’s Center: Attention Dr. Jeff Bronstein/Jessica Vrazilek; Jewish Federation, Los Angeles; and Cedars Sinai Board of Governors.

KATZMAN, Jerry (Jerome Katzman)

Born: 4/21/1927, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 8/9/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Jerome Katzman’s western – producer:

The Fastest Guitar Alive - 1967

RIP Gloria Carlin

 

Gloria Carlin Chetwynd's Obituary 

Legacy

August 6, 2026

 

Gloria Carlin Chetwynd passed away August 5, 2026, peacefully at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, with her family around her. A successful actress, loving wife and mother, doting grandmother and a devoted friend to so many, she prioritized joy in both her life and the lives of the people around her. Simply put, she lived a complete life.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Gloria found a passion for acting at a young age. She was a star pupil at Montreal's Children's Theatre, Mountain Playhouse and Centaur Theatre. She also served as a teacher for so many aspiring students. After graduating high school, she considered attending university in the United States but stayed in Canada to assist her family. As a result, she attended Sir George Williams University - a decision which turned out to be deeply life-changing.

The reason: She met her future husband, Lionel, at Sir George, commenting that he looked like Paul Newman after they first met. It was an instant connection sealed when Lionel came over to Gloria's family home and took apart and then fixed a beloved music box.

Still, Gloria was driven and, when famed drama coach Peggy Feury asked her to come to New York City to study acting at the Actor's Studio and dance with Martha Graham, she was compelled to embrace the adventure. While she found studying dance challenging at times, her acting turned heads. So much so that she was offered a contract by Warner Bros. The opportunity to move to Los Angeles and elevate her acting career at a young age was a big one, but after an all-night conversation with Lionel, they agreed to "do it together," and Gloria moved back to Montreal.

That choice also proved to be a good one. Gloria and Lionel wed in 1963 and she continued to perform, appearing in plays and hosting a children's television show on the CBC. She also worked at one of Montreal's pinnacle events, Expo 67. Following that, Lionel and Gloria moved to London, where Gloria featured in the West End Production of "Maybe That's Your Problem." During their time in London, Gloria and Lionel had two sons - Michael in 1968 and Joshua in 1971.

The family would move to Connecticut and then to New York City before settling in Los Angeles in 1976. Throughout, her acting career blossomed. She appeared in 15 movies, including starring or major roles in such films as "Two Solitudes", "Goldenrod", "Hanoi Hilton" and "Varian's War". She also played a recurring role in General Hospital as Charity Gatlin. The character was so beloved that years after she had left the show an additional plotline was created about her character's children. Other television guest performances included turns on "The Facts of Life", "Knots Landing" and "Cagney and Lacey".

Along with being a remarkable actress, she was an award-worthy grandmother to her four grandchildren, Miller, Joseph, Mira and Becca. From the birth of her first grandchild, she took to that role as passionately as any she performed on the stage or screen. She never missed birthdays and always relished time with each of them.

However, it's important to note that her enthusiasm for people did not stop with her family. She was a light for anyone who had the privilege to know her. She was always willing to listen and provide sage advice. Those in her orbit knew, unreservedly, that Gloria, an unabashed optimist, was always in their corner.

She is survived by her husband (Lionel), her two sons (Michael and Joshua), her two daughters-in-law (Tracy and Jennifer), her four grandchildren (Miller, Joseph, Mira and Becca), her brother (Harvey) and sister-in-law (Suzee), five nieces and nephews (Cindy, Lisa, Clifford, Gabriel and Jeremy).

Her funeral will take place at Mount Sinai Memorial Park on Monday, August 10 at 2:30 p.m. It is located at 6150 Mount Sinai Drive, Simi Valley, California 93063. For those who cannot attend, a livestream will be available at: https://mount-sinai-memorial-parks-and-mortuaries.livecontrol.tv/06aace8d 

CARLIN, Gloria

Born: 2/20/1942, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Died: 8/5/2026, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

 

Gloria Carlin’s western – actress:

Goldenrod – 1976 (Shirley Ashbee Gifford)

RIP Jon Cypher

 

Actor Jon Cypher, 94, passed on Aug. 3 at his home in Twin Creeks, Central Point, Oregon, with his wife of 40 years, Carol Rosin, by his side. 

Ashland News

August 10, 2026

Jan. 13, 1932 — Aug. 3, 2026

 

Jon will be buried at the Forest Conservation Burial Ground in Ashland, Oregon, under tall trees in a meadow, wrapped in a completely natural, biodegradable shroud, obliging his wish to return to nature.

Jon is known for his TV roles as Chief Daniels on “Hillstreet Blues”; General Craig on “Major Dad”; Prince Charming with Julie Andrews in the original production of “Cinderella”; 12 Broadway shows, including Don Quixote in “Man of La Mancha,” Thomas Jefferson in “1776” and Juan Perón in “Evita”; and roles in several movies, including “Masters of the Universe,” “Spontaneous Combustion” and “Strictly Business.”

Jon sang opera in four languages, and was known to burst out in song, bringing joy to every event.

As host of the 2001 Disclosure Project press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Jon was outspoken in support for urgent recognition of truth regarding non-threatening extra-terrestials and their crafts, and promoted The Treaty to Prevent the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space.   

Jon authored a book of limericks reviewed as a masterpiece in our time, “If You’re Not Depressed You Oughta Be in Therapy.”

He was the most kind of men with a great sense of humor, brilliant mind, and a huge loving and caring heart for all sacred life.

As he wished, Jon’s burial will be in a place to observe and honor nature, life and death, and the grief that connects us all. His prayer for peace and love to prevail for all life on earth and in the cosmos, is represented at Jon’s forest burial site, open for all to visit.

CYPHER, Jon (Jon Herbert Cypher)

Born: 1/13/1932, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died:  8/3/2026, Twin Creeks, Central Point, Oregon, U.S.A

 

Jon Cypher’s westerns – actor:

Valdez is Coming – 1970 (Frank Tanner)

Bonanza (TV) – 1972 (Colonel Cody Ransom)

The Kid and the Killers – 1974 (Roper)

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (TV) - 1996 (Preston A. Lodge II)

Walker, Texas Ranger (TV) - 1999 (Waylon Cox)

RIP Carlos del Campo

 

Carlos del Campo, the unforgettable voice of Peter Pettigrew, C-3PO and Slinky, dies; This is what we know about his death

The news was announced through social networks of family members and colleagues from the artistic world.

mediotiempo

By Fátima Vázquez

8/2/2026

 

Voice actor Carlos del Campo, recognized for voicing characters in successful films of the 90s in their Latin version, died this Sunday, August 2 at the age of 67.

The news was revealed by his family as well as colleagues from the artistic world, who shared the news through social networks and their official accounts.

In early 2026, it was announced that the actor was facing health problems, but he kept the details of his condition confidential. Due to his condition, the actor gradually reduced his activity within the medium and retired from the recording booths.

So far the reason for his death is unknown but social media users commented that everyone was waiting for news of him, since he did not participate in the new ‘Toy Story 5’ movie, in the previous productions he played Slinky.

Who was Carlos del Campo?

Carlos del Campo was a renowned Mexican actor, dubbing director, broadcaster and singer, born in Chihuahua on December 30, 1959, and died on August 2, 2026.

He stood out for his great versatility to give voice to characters of all ages, from children to the elderly. Among its most famous characters are: Slinky in the 'Toy Story' saga. C-3PO's android in the 'Star Wars' movies.

He also played Bulk (Farkas Bulkmeier) in the early 'Power Rangers' series. Gin Ichimaru in the anime 'Bleach', Professor Souichi Tomoe in 'Sailor Moon S' and also participated in the anime of 'The Knights of the Zodiac' in the Gemini Saga playing 'The Golden Knight of Gemini', in addition to his facet as the evil Patriarch.

del CAMPO. Carlos (Carlos Nicolas Ramos del Campo)

Born: 12/30/1959, Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico

Died: 8/2/2026, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Carlos del Campos’s western – voice actor:

Balto: Wolf Quest – 2001 [Spanish voice of hunter]

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – 2002 [Spanish voice of Pete]