A television icon looked youthful during a rare outing in LA, decades after starring in one of the biggest series in the late 1970s and early next decade.
The actor didn’t look like he’d aged much since his heyday, when he was one of the two main stars of an iconic crime drama franchise that has evolved into several shows and even movies.
The original series ultimately ran for 139 episodes over six seasons, in addition to a reunion television movie in October 1998.
The talented stage actor has built a steady career in Hollywood with nearly 60 credits to his name, in addition to racing cars and work as a private pilot.
Can you guess who the actor is?
A television icon looked youthful during a rare outing in LA, decades after starring in one of the biggest series in the late 1970s and early next decade.
The actor didn’t look like he’d aged much since his heyday, when he was one of the two main stars of an iconic crime drama franchise that has grown into several shows and even movies.
It’s CHiPs star Larry Wilcox!
The 77-year-old American actor was recently spotted driving his Dodge Ram truck around LA before heading to a mechanic.
He is best known for playing straight-laced California Highway Patrol officer Jonathan Andrew Baker alongside Erik Estrada, who played his macho and dashing partner, Officer Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello.
Ponch was the most sensitive to the pair’s problems, as Wilcox’s character was more level-headed and tried to keep them out of trouble from their supervisor Sergeant Joseph Getraer (played by Robert Pine).
After CHiPs, Wilcox continued a solid acting career when he starred as Tommy Wells in the made-for-TV World War II epic The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission in 1985.
More recently, he had roles in 2021’s Forgiven This Gun4hire, a guest role in the 2020 series Bromance, and the 2019 film Wish Man.
After leaving CHiPs in 1982, Wilcox demonstrated his ability to think ahead when he founded his own production company – called Wilcox Productions – which produced the award-winning TV series The Ray Bradbury Theater for HBO for five years.
The actor wore several hats as he was a Vietnam veteran who enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1967 and served during the Tet Offensive.
It’s CHiPs star Larry Wilcox! as the talented actor can be seen in the late 1970s series (right)
He is best known for playing straight-laced California Highway Patrol officer Jonathan Andrew Baker alongside Erik Estrada, who played his macho and dashing partner, Officer Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello; the two were depicted in the series in the late 1970s
Ponch was the most sensitive to the pair’s problems, as Wilcox’s character was more level-headed and tried to keep them out of trouble from their supervisor Sergeant Joseph Getraer (played by Robert Pine)
The 77-year-old American actor was recently spotted in LA before heading to a mechanic
The talented star seemed in good spirits
After leaving CHiPs in 1982, Wilcox demonstrated his ability to think ahead when he founded his own production company – called Wilcox Productions – which produced the award-winning TV series The Ray Bradbury Theater for HBO for five years.
The actor wore several hats as he was a Vietnam veteran who enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1967 and served during the Tet Offensive
He was seen jumping into his Dodge Ram truck
He was eventually honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant in 1973.
As if that weren’t enough, the San Diego native also races cars and works as a private pilot.
Despite playing a man of the law in his biggest on-screen role, he found himself in legal trouble almost a decade and a half ago.
Wilcox was sentenced to three years’ probation in January 2011 for a securities fraud conviction.
At the time, a federal judge in Fort Lauderdale ordered him to perform 500 hours of community service.
As if that weren’t enough, the San Diego native also races cars and works as a private pilot
Despite playing a man of the law in his biggest on-screen role, he found himself in legal trouble almost a decade and a half ago; he is pictured in Thousand Oaks in May
The Securities and Exchange Commission had said Wilcox was involved in one of several kickback operations orchestrated by more than a dozen small-company stock promoters.
They were eventually caught in an FBI undercover operation for offering to pay kickbacks to pension fund managers or stockbrokers for using client money to buy penny stocks.
In November 2010, Wilcox had pleaded guilty to securities fraud conspiracy and faced up to five years in prison.
Wilcox was sentenced to three years’ probation in January 2011 for a securities fraud conviction; he is pictured in Laguna Beach in August 2019