Larry Dee Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is a state law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and roads and streets outside city limits, and can exercise law enfor ...
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
(later
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
) Jonathan "Jon" Baker in the
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
''
CHiPs
''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The serie ...
'', which ran from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. A
Vietnam veteran
A Vietnam veteran is a person who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.
The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and oth ...
, Wilcox races cars and is also a private pilot.
Early life
Wilcox was born on the 8th of August 1947 in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, the son of Marion G. and John C. Wilcox. He and his three siblings were raised in
Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,221 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. It was named for Union General John Aaron Rawlins, who camped in the locality in 1867.
Demographics ...
, by their single mother. He graduated from
Rawlins High School
Rawlins High School is a public high school in Rawlins, Wyoming, United States. Rawlins High School is part of Carbon County School District #1.
Notable alumni
* Clarence Addison Brimmer, Jr. (1922-2014), judge of the United States District Court ...
went to the
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...
, then transferred to
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College (Pierce College or Pierce) is a public community college in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College District and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and C ...
. He eventually went to
Cal State Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...
. He worked at different jobs including acting and
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
cowboy.
Military service
Wilcox enlisted in the
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
in May 1967 and served in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
during the
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the forces o ...
. While in Vietnam he studied French and took general classes at
College of the Desert
College of the Desert (COD) is a public community college in Palm Desert, California. COD enrolls about 12,500 students, of which around one third attend college full-time. It serves the Coachella Valley of Riverside County. The college is federa ...
during his final year in the Marines at
Twentynine Palms, California
Twentynine Palms (also known as 29 Palms) is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Twentynine Palms serves as one of the entry points to Joshua Tree National Park.
History
Twentynine Palms was named for the palm trees found there in ...
. He was honorably discharged with the rank of
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services.
History of title
In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administrative, supervi ...
in 1973.
Entertainment career
Early years
Wilcox made a guest appearance in 1971 in ''
Room 222
''Room 222'' is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television that aired on ABC for 112 episodes, from September 17, 1969 until January 11, 1974. The show was broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 ( EST) fo ...
''. In 1973, Wilcox appeared in ''
The Streets of San Francisco
''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the ...
'' episode "The Runaways" as older brother George. Also in 1973, he starred in ''
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called ''Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fic ...
'' as Dale, one of the boys who grew up there and was now working as a hired hand. Wilcox appeared in an episode of ''
Cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
'' "Target In The Mirror" in 1973 in a role as a witness. He performed in the 1976 film ''
The Last Hard Men'', and other TV appearances including ''
The Partridge Family
''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...
'', ''
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to:
* ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series
* ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...
'', ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
The ...
'', ''
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
'', and ''
Police Story'', as well as commercials. He was the main (and only human for most of it) actor of a two-part show on
''The Wonderful World of Disney'' anthology show in 1978 playing a lone cowboy on a cattle drive and his adventures en route to market. He also played Emmett Dalton in the 1979 film ''
The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang
''The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang'' is a 1979 American Western (genre), Western television film directed by Dan Curtis about the Dalton Gang. It is not entirely accurate, as noted at the film's beginning.
Plot
The film follows the story of the ...
''.
''CHiPs''
![Erik Estrada Larry Wilcox CHiPS 1977](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Erik_Estrada_Larry_Wilcox_CHiPS_1977.jpg)
Wilcox was cast as Jon Baker, one of the lead characters on ''CHiPs''; he was not in season six and was cast from 1977 to 1982. Wilcox performed many of his own stunts on the show. Unlike his co-star
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor and police officer. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series ...
(who played his partner "Ponch"), Wilcox never sustained any major injuries. By the 1979–80 season, he made $25,000 per episode (the same amount as Estrada) and it escalated thereafter. During his time on ''CHiPs'', Wilcox appeared on the cover of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' three times, along with Estrada.
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 as Wilcox came to his friend's rescue. Wilcox confirmed that some of the rumors of on-set feuding were true, but minor issues were blown out of proportion. He added: "We're just two totally different people."
Wilcox is among the cast members who appeared at a reunion in Los Angeles to celebrate the series' 35th anniversary. Wilcox filmed the event and helped raise money for police officers and for kids at risk. Wilcox stated he called Estrada to invite him, as did Robert Pine, but Estrada did not return calls nor did he show up for the event. Estrada's manager said he was trying to establish a new and separate identity from ''CHiPs''.
After ''CHiPs''
In 1982, Wilcox left ''CHiPs'' and formed his own production company, Wilcox Productions, which produced the award-winning TV series for HBO ''
The Ray Bradbury Theater
''The Ray Bradbury Theater'' is an anthology series that ran for three seasons on First Choice Superchannel in Canada and HBO in the United States from 1985 to 1986, and then on USA Network, running for four additional seasons from 1988 to 199 ...
'' for five years. He developed, optioned, and sold to MGM ''The
Yorkshire Ripper
Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 – 13 November 2020) was an English serial killer who was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper (an allusion to Jack the Ripper) by the press. Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting t ...
'' and sold to Columbia ''The
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack, was an American disc jockey active from 1960 till his death in 1995. Famous for his gravelly voice, he credited it for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes ...
Story''. Later, Wilcox optioned ''Flipper'' and was the executive producer of that movie for Universal Pictures. He also continued acting and directing. Presently, Wilcox works with Saratoga Entertainment which is a production and digital distribution company. He also is a consultant to Enabledware, which is a rule-based digital distribution software in 57 languages with a focus on digital universities and security for sports stadiums.
Wilcox was
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
of the TV movie ''
Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story''. The story had a deeper resonance for Wilcox, whose older sister was fatally shot in front of her three children, her mother, and 17 witnesses. The accused murderer, her husband, was later acquitted in a celebrated trial in Wyoming and subsequently killed in a barroom brawl, according to Wilcox.
[
He appeared in a 1985 made-for-TV movie sequel to '']The Dirty Dozen
''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Ralph M ...
'', called '' The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission''. He played a convicted war prisoner Tommy Wells, recruited to help terminate a German general who is plotting to assassinate Hitler. Wilcox was reunited briefly on-screen with his former co-star Estrada in '' National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1'', and then again in 1998, where he reprised his role of Jon Baker (now Captain Baker) in the Turner Network Television
TNT (originally an abbreviation for Turner Network Television) is an American basic cable television channel
A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is dist ...
production of ''CHiPs '99
''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The serie ...
''. In 2008, Wilcox had a brief cameo in the music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for Rehab's song " Bartender Song (Sittin' at a Bar)" where he played a San Diego Police sergeant.
He appeared in a cameo as himself dressed as Officer Jon Baker on the 2009 Christmas episode of ''30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...
''. Wilcox also completed a cameo in the feature film ''Two Sillies''. He made a brief appearance as mine owner Bob Freeman in the 2016 drama ''94 Feet''. Least we not forget his role on "THE LOVE BOAT" as Sergeant Belouski in his protection of a star witness on Season 4, Episode 1.
Personal life
Wilcox married his first wife, Judy Vagner, on March 29, 1969, while serving his last months of duty after returning from the Vietnam War. They had two children together, Derek and Heidi. His second marriage was to Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
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 and they divorced after her birth. On March 22, 1986, Wilcox married Marlene Harmon, a member of the 1980 Olympic heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...
team. They have two sons, Chad and Ryan.
Filmography
*'' The Great American Beauty Contest'' (1973)
*'' The Girl Most Likely To...'' (1973)
*''Death Stalk'' (1975)
*''Sky Heist'' (1975)
*'' The Last Hard Men'' (1976)
*''Relentless'' (1977)
*''The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang'' (1979)
*''Deadly Lessons
''Deadly Lessons'' (also known as ''Highschool Killer'') is a 1983 American television film, made-for-television horror film starring Donna Reed, Larry Wilcox, David Ackroyd, Diane Franklin, Ally Sheedy, and Nancy Cartwright. The film premiered on ...
'' (1983)
*'' The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission'' (1985)
*''Mission Manila'' (1990)
*''National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
''National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1'' (also known simply as '' Loaded Weapon 1'') is a 1993 American parody film directed and co-written by Gene Quintano, and starring Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, Kathy Ireland, Frank McRae, Tim Curry and ...
'' (1993)
*''The Thundering 8th'' (2000)
*''94 Feet'' (2016)
*'' Wish Man'' (2019)
See also
*List of members of the American Legion
This table provides a list of notable members of The American Legion.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Legion, List O ...
* List of people from San Diego
*List of people from Wyoming
This is a list of prominent people who were born in or lived for a significant period of time in U.S. state of Wyoming.
The arts Acting
* Burnu Acquanetta (1921–2004), actress and model; born in Cheyenne
* Jim Beaver (born 1950), actor ...
*List of United States Marines
The following is a list of people who served in the United States Marine Corps ''and'' have gained fame through previous or subsequent endeavors, infamy, or successes. Marines who became notable in the United States Marine Corps and are part of ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcox, Larry
1947 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American aviators
American male film actors
American male television actors
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
California State University, Northridge alumni
CHiPs
Living people
Male actors from San Diego
Male actors from Wyoming
Military personnel from California
People from Rawlins, Wyoming
People from West Hills, Los Angeles
United States Marines