Larry Wilcox
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (November 2010) |
| Larry Wilcox | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1947 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, producer, businessman |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse(s) | Judy Vagner (divorced;two children) Hannie Strasser (divorced; one child) Marlene Harmon (two children) |
Larry Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor, best known for his role as Officer Jonathan "Jon" Baker in CHiPs, an American television series.
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[edit] Early life and military service
Wilcox was born in San Diego, California. He was one of four children. When he was a baby, his parents divorced. He lived with his grandfather in Wyoming. Then when his father died, his mother worked as a secretary to provide for the family. After he graduated from high school, he did different jobs including acting. Wilcox joined the Marines in May 1967 and served 13 months in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant in 1973. Wilcox attended Cal State Northridge, where he earned a degree. In 1973, he appeared in "The Streets of San Francisco" episode, "The Runaways" as older brother George. Then it was on to the 1976 film The Last Hard Men, TV appearances, commercials, and the TV show CHiPs.
[edit] CHiPs
As an accomplished motorcycle rider, horseman, race car driver, and jet skier, Wilcox did many of his own stunts on the show. Unlike his co-star Erik Estrada (who played "Ponch"), Wilcox never suffered any major injuries. By the 1979–80 season, he made $25,000 per episode (the same amount as Estrada). During his time on CHiPs, Wilcox appeared on the cover of TV Guide three times, along with Estrada.[1]
Rumors of friction between the two had occurred late in the 1978–79 season, but it calmed down after Estrada's injury at the beginning of the 1979–80 season. Wilcox and Estrada were never the best of friends, and Wilcox confirmed that some of the rumors of on-set feuding were true. He added: "We're just two totally different people." [2]
Wilcox is among the cast members scheduled to appear at a reunion in Los Angeles to celebrate the series' 35th anniversary.[2]
[edit] After CHiPs
In 1982, Wilcox left CHiPs and formed his own production company, Wilcox Productions, which produced The Ray Bradbury Theater for five years. He also continued acting and directing. In the mid-1990s, Wilcox ran a company called Team Elite, which he described as "a multidivisional company selling liquid vitamins, wholesale travel and long-distance communications through network marketing".[citation needed]
Wilcox was executive producer of the TV movie Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story. The story had a deeper resonance for Wilcox, whose older sister was shot in front of her three children and her mother. The accused murderer, her husband, was later acquitted in a celebrated trial in Wyoming and subsequently killed in a barroom brawl, according to Wilcox. [3]
Wilcox appeared in a 1985 made-for-TV movie sequel to The Dirty Dozen, called The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission. He played a convicted war prisoner recruited to help terminate a German general who is plotting to assassinate Hitler.[citation needed]
In 2008, Wilcox had a brief cameo in the video for Rehab's song "Bartender Song (Sittin' at a Bar)".
Wilcox was reunited briefly on-screen with his former co-star Estrada in National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, and then again in CHiPs 99.
He appeared in a cameo as himself dressed as "Officer Jon Baker" on the 2009 Christmas episode of 30 Rock.
In November 2010, Wilcox pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud; he was sentenced to three years' probation the following January.[4][5]
[edit] Personal life
- Wilcox married his first wife, Judy Vagner, on March 29, 1969, and later divorced in 1978. They had two children together: Derek and Heidi.
- Wilcox's second marriage was to Denmark native Hannie Strasser, a one-time CHiPs assistant sound technician. The wedding took place on April 11, 1980. Their daughter, Wendy, was born in 1982.
- On March 22, 1986, Wilcox married his present wife, Marlene Harmon, a member of the 1980 Olympic heptathlon team. They live in the San Fernando Valley with their two sons, Chad and Ryan.
- Today, Wilcox spends his time on various philanthropic projects, raising his two teenage sons, and caring for his father-in-law, a stroke victim.
[edit] References
- ^ "Larry Wilcox profile at". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
- ^ a b "Larry Wilcox Busses His New Bride, but 'chips' Co-Star Erik Estrada Gets a Kiss-Off". April 28, 1980. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
- ^ http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076341,00.html
- ^ "Larry Wilcox, actor from 'CHiPs,' gets three years probation for securities fraud conviction". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
- ^ Hammel, Sara (2011-01-28). "Larry Wilcox of ChiPs Gets Probation for Securities Fraud - Crime & Courts, CHiPs (TV Show - 1977), Larry Wilcox". People.com. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
[edit] External links
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