Home / Arts and Entertainment / Erik Estrada: Ageless CHiPs Star's Second Act
Erik Estrada: Ageless CHiPs Star's Second Act
27 Feb
Summary
- Erik Estrada, 76, maintains a striking resemblance to his CHiPs character.
- He became a real-life reserve police officer in the 2000s.
- Estrada found renewed fame with Spanish-language audiences and appeared in a CHiPs film.

Erik Estrada, best known for his role as Officer Frank "Ponch" Poncherello on the hit series CHiPs, continues to captivate audiences at the age of 76. He remarkably retains the youthful appearance that made him a television heartthrob in the late 1970s, complete with his signature smile and dark hair.
The NBC series CHiPs aired from 1977 to 1983, featuring Estrada alongside Larry Wilcox as one of television's memorable buddy duos. The show chronicled the adventures of two California Highway Patrol officers on the freeways of Los Angeles.
Estrada's life after CHiPs took an unexpected turn when he became a reserve police officer in the 2000s, serving in Virginia and later Idaho. This real-world service mirrored his famous on-screen persona. He also achieved renewed success with Spanish-speaking audiences through telenovelas and participated in the 2017 film adaptation of CHiPs.




