Early LifeĮrik Estrada was born on March 16, 1949, in New York, New York, and grew up in the Spanish Harlem neighborhood of the city. Estrada went on to star in the 1990s telenova Dos Mujeres, Un Camino, before becoming a popular figure on reality TV shows like The Surreal Life. In 1977, he made his first appearance as Ponch on the popular police drama CHiPs, a role that propelled him to fame. Actor Erik Estrada had his first big break in 1970's The Cross and the Switchblade.
