Iconic 1970s cop show star still looks fit and youthful aged 75 – can you guess who he is?
An iconic star of a 1970s cop show looked fit and youthful at the age of 75 when he was spotted out this week.
The dashing actor was spotted in the Burbank neighborhood of Los Angeles, picking up his dry cleaning and picking up takeout.
Although his hair was sprinkled with a hint of gray, he still mainly sported the raven locks that helped shape his unforgettable look at the height of his fame.
His best-known role was in a police procedural series that ran from 1977 to 1983, which made him a household name and a national sex symbol.
Who is this TV legend?
An iconic star of a 1970s cop show looked fit and youthful at the age of 75 when he was spotted out this week
Erik Estrada, who played motorcycle cop Frank Llewelyn “Ponch” Poncherello on the hit NBC crime drama CHiPs, was the actor spotted in Burbank this week.
He wore a casual outfit including a black and white T-shirt that allowed him to show off his still-toned arms while running errands.
Erik’s quirky sense of style was still evident as he accessorized with a shiny set of ’80s sunglasses and a prong necklace.
CHiPs ran for six seasons on NBC and followed the lives of two motorcycle-riding California Highway Patrolmen who solved crimes in Los Angeles.
Erik played the hot-blooded Ponch alongside Larry Wilcox as his partner Jonathan ‘Jon’ Andrew Baker, a more cold-blooded, by-the-book type.
The show was a heartbreaker for Erik, who was named one of People magazine’s 10 Sexiest Bachelors in the World in 1979.
When Erik briefly went on strike in the 1980s, he was replaced for three episodes by Bruce Jenner, who was decades removed from transitioning to Caitlyn Jenner.
There were rumors that Erik and Larry had a tense equation in real life, and in 1982, Larry left the show, which was canceled altogether the following year.
Erik Estrada, who played motorcycle cop Frank Llewelyn “Ponch” Poncherello on the hit NBC crime drama CHiPs, was the actor spotted in Burbank this week
CHiPs turned Erik into a heartthrob, who was named one of People magazine’s 10 Sexiest Bachelors in the World in 1979; Erik depicted in a publicity campaign for the series
CHiPs ran for six seasons on NBC and followed the lives of two motorcycle-riding California Highway Patrolmen who solved crimes in Los Angeles
Fifteen years later, however, several of the cast, including the two leads, reunited to star in a television movie called CHiPs ’99.
Erik pursued a career in telenovelas and guest-starred in English-language TV shows such as Lizzie McGuire, Scrubs, The Nanny and Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
In 2016, he became a real law enforcement officer, joining the police reserve in the small town of St. Anthony, Idaho.
His goal was to help protect children from predatory adults they might encounter online, he explained after his swearing-in ceremony.
‘Education is the best protection, especially on the internet. Kids need to learn how to use a chat room,” he told the Idaho State Journal.
‘Don’t give out any personal information. Be sure not to mention the name of your father or mother, or which school you go to. Never accept gifts.”
He added: ‘Definitely never meet someone you’re chatting with. They are not who they are. If they send a photo, it’s not them.’