Erik Estrada

Erik Estrada (born March 16, 1949 in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States) is an American actor of Puerto Rican descent, known for his co-starring lead role in the 1977–1983 US television series CHiPs. He later became known for his work in Spanish language telenovelas, and in more recent years, his appearances in reality television shows and infomercials.

Acting History

1970s-1989s

In the 1970 film version of The Cross and the Switchblade, Estrada made his film debut in the role of Nicky Cruz alongside Pat Boone who played the role of David Wilkerson.

In 1974, Estrada landed a big break in the successful disaster film, Airport 1975, where he played a featured role as the flight engineer on a Boeing 747. His character was killed in a midair collision. Two years later, he was a featured player in the military historical epic Midway, as a fictional airman Ens. "Chili Bean" Ramos.

File:Erik estrada.jpg

Erik Estrada as Francis "Ponch" Poncherello.

In 1977, Estrada began playing the role of Francis "Ponch" Poncherello, a California Highway Patrol officer on the 1977–1983 US television series CHiPs. Estrada became a teen idol, appearing on the cover of Tiger Beat and other publications. In the 1980s, after CHiPs was cancelled, Estrada had few television or movies roles.

1990s

In the 1990s Estrada played the role of Johnny, a Tijuana trucker, in the Televisa telenovela Dos mujeres, un camino ("Two women, one road").

In 1995, he made a special guest appearance as Ponch in punk rock band Bad Religion's music video Infected as well as in the video for the Butthole Surfer's video for Pepper. In 1998, he returned as the character in the TNT made-for-tv movie CHiPs '99, along with the rest of the original cast.

2000s

In 2002 he played a Hispanic game show host on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire with Hilary Duff. He has also had a regular role doing voiceovers for the Cartoon Network show Sealab 2021, which also gave him the opportunity to parody himself. The show has featured several CHiPs homages and his character, First Mate Marco Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is played as a stereotypical Latin macho character. Estrada has also guest-starred on the children's cartoon Maya and Miguel.

Estrada has appeared in music videos, such as Eminem's music video "Just Lose it". He has a band named after him (Estradasphere) based in Santa Cruz, California. Estrada also made guest appearances on The Wayans Bros., Unhappily Ever After, the Nickelodeon comedy Drake & Josh, NBC's Scrubs and ABC's According to Jim.

Estrada has done a long-running series of infomercials as a national spokesman for National Recreational Properties, selling real estate property in such locations as Siskiyou County, California; Lake Shastina, California; California City, California; Ocean Shores, Washington; Colorado; and recently, Tellico Village, Tennessee. Parlaying his CHiPs fame for the public good, Estrada has also made numerous appearances supporting automobile child-seat safety checks in states including Illinois and Indiana.

Estrada has appeared in recent years in a number of reality television shows. In 2004 he starred in both the second season of The Surreal Life and in Discovery Health Body Challenge. He also starred in the short-lived CBS reality show, Armed & Famous.

Estrada was the Grand Marshall for the Krewe of Rio in Mardi Gras 2007 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 19th, 2007.

Estrada threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Seattle Mariners' Turn Back The Clock game on Sunday, July 29, 2007, entering the ballpark riding a police motorcycle. His pitch was caught by Mariners reliever Arthur Rhodes.

Filmography

• The Cross and the Switchblade (1970)
• Chrome and Hot Leather (1971)
• The Ballad of Billie Blue (1972)
• Parades (1972)
• The New Centurions (1972)
• Airport 1975 (1974)
• Trackdown (1976)
• Midway (1976)
• The Line (1980)
• Where Is Parsifal? (1983)
• Light Blast (1985)
• The Repenter (1985)
• Hour of the Assassin (1987)
• Andy Colby's Incredible Adventure (1988)
• Caged Fury (1989)
• Alien Seed (1989)
• The Lost Idol (1990)
• Guns (1990)
• A Show of Force (1990)
• Twisted Justice (1990)
• Night of the Wilding (1990)
• The Last Riders (1991)
• Do or Die (1991)
• Spirits (1991)
• Gang Justice (1991)
• The Sounds of Silence (1992)
• The Naked Truth (1992)
• The Divine Enforcer (1992)
• Tuesday Never Comes (1993)
• Angel Eyes (1993)
• National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
• Juana la Cubana (1994)
• The Misery Brothers (1995)
• The Final Goal (1995)
• Visions (1996)
• Shattered Dreams (1998)
• The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1998)
• Lost in Hollywood (1998)
• King Cobra (1999)
• Oliver Twisted (2000)
• We Married Margo (2000)
• UP, Michigan! (2001)
• Destroying America (2001)
• National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)
• Border Blues (2004)
• Kickin It Old Skool (2007)

Upcoming:

• Horrorween (2007)

Television Work

• The Quest: The Longest Drive (1976)
• Fire! (1977)
• CHiPs (1977-1983)
• Honeyboy (1982)
• Un Solo corazón (1983)
• Rosa salvaje (1987) (199 episode run)
• The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission (1988)
• She Knows Too Much (1989)
• Extralarge: Cannonball (1991)
• Earth Angel (1991)
• Extralarge: Gonzales' Revenge (1993)
• Dos mujeres, un camino (1993-1994)
• Panic in the Skies! (1996)
• We Are Angels (1997) (miniseries)
• CHiPs '99 (1998)
• Walking After Midnight (1999-2000)
• Sealab 2021 (2000-2005) (voice)
• Drake & Josh (2004)
• The Surreal Life (cast member in 2004)
• Maya & Miguel (2004-present) (voice)
• Taylor Made (2005)
• Back to the Grind (2006) (unsold pilot)
• Armed & Famous (2007) (canceled after 4 episodes)

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links

• Erik Estrada at IMDb
• CBS Armed and Famous TV Show
• Erik Estrada's website
• Erik Estrada's California Pines infomercial Review of the land infomercial hosted by Erik Estrada.
• An Excellent Essay on the Hitherto Unexplored Universe of The Christian Action Films of Erik Estrada
• Erik Estrada on Tom Green Live