Editing Erik Estrada (section)

===1970–2000===
In 1970, Estrada made his film debut in the role of [[Nicky Cruz]], alongside [[Pat Boone]], in the [[independent film]] ''[[The Cross and the Switchblade]]''. In 1972, he appeared in a small role as a police officer in ''[[The New Centurions]]'', which was followed by a significant role in a major motion picture, the [[Jack Smight]] [[disaster film]], ''[[Airport 1975]]'', where he played Julio, the [[womanizing]] flight engineer on a [[Boeing 747]]. The following year, he again worked with Smight in the successful military historical epic ''[[Midway (1976 film)|Midway]]'', as a fictional airman Ens. "Chili Bean" Ramos.
[[File:Erik Estrada Larry Wilcox CHiPS 1977.jpg|thumb|Estrada and [[Larry Wilcox]] on ''[[CHiPs]]'' in 1977.]]
Beginning in 1977, Estrada co-starred as Frank "Ponch" Poncharello in the TV series ''[[CHiPs]]''.  In 1978, he began training in [[martial arts]] with SeishinDo Kenpo instructor Frank Argelander (Frank Landers), to prepare for a two-part episode of the series. The two appeared on the cover of ''Fighting Stars Magazine'' that same year, discussing Estrada's training regimen. On August 6, 1979, Estrada was seriously injured while filming a scene on the set of ''CHiPs'', fracturing several ribs and breaking both wrists after he was thrown from his {{convert|600|lb|adj=on}} motorcycle.<ref name="YahooMovies">{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800015234/bio |title=Erik Estrada biography |publisher=[[Yahoo! Movies]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102070415/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800015234/bio |archive-date=November 2, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref>

Later in 1979, Estrada was voted one of "The 10 Sexiest Bachelors in the World" by ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine and was featured on the cover of the November issue.<ref name="YahooMovies" /> Following a salary dispute with NBC in the fall of 1981, Estrada was briefly replaced by Olympic [[Gold Medal]]ist and actor [[Bruce Jenner]]. Following co-star [[Larry Wilcox]]'s 1982 departure from the series amid behind-the-scenes friction, Estrada carried the remaining season of ''CHiPs'' without most of the supporting cast from the previous four seasons (who were fired due to budget costs), and the show was eventually canceled in 1983. In the 1980s, Estrada appeared in a string of low-budget films. He made a return to series television in a 1987 three-part episode of the police drama ''[[Hunter (1984 U.S. TV series)|Hunter]]''.

In the 1990s, Estrada played the role of Johnny, a [[Tijuana]] trucker, in the [[Televisa]] ''telenovela'' ''[[Dos mujeres, un camino]]'' ("Two women, one path"). He shared the main credits with Mexican actresses/singers [[Laura Leon]] and [[Bibi Gaytán]]. Originally slated for 100 episodes, the show went to 200-plus episodes and became the biggest ''telenovela'' in Latin American history.<ref name="YahooMovies" /> He was reportedly paid one million pesos for that role.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profiles.incredible-people.com/erik-estrada|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719054658/http://profiles.incredible-people.com/erik-estrada|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 19, 2012|title=Erik Estrada|publisher=Incredible-People.com}}</ref>

In 1994, Estrada began co-hosting the syndicated outdoor adventure show ''American Adventurer'', which ran until 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://couchville.com/show/american-adventurer/episodes|title=American Adventurer: Episodes|publisher=Couchville.com|access-date=November 26, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731125831/http://couchville.com/show/american-adventurer/episodes|archive-date=July 31, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1995, he made a special guest appearance as Ponch in [[punk rock]] band [[Bad Religion]]'s music video "[[Infected (song)|Infected]]", as well as in the video for the [[Butthole Surfers]]'s video for "[[Pepper (song)|Pepper]]". He has also been seen on a few episodes of ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'' as himself, seen in a daydream cloud in Hilda's mind and driving a car as Hilda zapped herself in his car.

In 1997, Estrada wrote his autobiography, ''Erik Estrada: My Road from Harlem to Hollywood''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Erik Estrada: My Road from Harlem to Hollywood|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780688142933|url-access=registration|first1=Erik|last1=Estrada|first2=Davin|last2=Seay|isbn=0-688-14293-1|publisher=William Morrow & Company|year=1997}}</ref> In 1998, he returned as the character Francis "Ponch" Poncherello in the TNT made-for-TV movie ''[[CHiPs '99]]'', along with the rest of the original cast.