Ask Larry-March 2013

Dear Larry,

What was the actual top speed you took your KZ1000P to on the show…any episode. On a few episodes you guys were moving along at what looks to be very FAST – was this you on the machine? ….just wondering.

Russ
Ventura, CA

Russ

I am not sure but I would guess the top speed I did was 90-95 mph…..as I was always a little nervous about high speed wobble. I think the fastest I have ever gone on any of my motorcycles in life was maybe 100 mph. I rode the bike at high speeds and slow speeds but most often if it was a dangerous high speed pursuit it was a stuntman and for me that was Scotty Dockstedder who was better on the bike than I was or Gary Davis in the orig episodes.

 

Dear Larry,

My dad was a big fan of your show and I love it too. You’re my favorite. My question is how did you become famous? I’m 8 years old and you’re my favorite CHiPs actor.

Rachel
Pennsylvania

Rachel

YOU are famous because you are a miracle. Just look in the mirror and be amazed. Now, when you want to take your FAMOUS self and branch out, maybe you want to sing or maybe you want to act or maybe you want to be a Doctor or a Politician. Who knows? In my case I wanted to be an actor and so I went to acting school. I studied with all the famous teachers I could find, and I made films on my own and learned all I could about my craft. I then had some acting photos done of myself, and took those to various Agents to try and get an agent. My acting coach introduced me to Agents and eventually I got one and then she sent me on interviews and I started getting lots of acting compliments and lots of jobs because I was prepared for the opportunity. Make sure you PREPARE for your opportunity when it comes. Thank you Rachel….Larry

 

Dear Larry,

Do you think Jon Baker would have worked his way up to Commissioner of the CHP by now or would he have retired and gone back to Wyoming?

Shaun

I see Jon Baker as the Commissioner and eventually the Governor of California with his big spread of registered cattle on his Flying Diamond Ranch in Wyoming. LOL

 

Dear Larry,

Do you remember any particularly funny bloopers or pranks on the set, and were you ever mistaken for a real CHP officer?

Danny
Ft. Wayne, IN

Nope, I do not remember any funny bloopers, sorry. We used to mess with the Directors from time to time and that was funny. Once we taped a sign on one director’s back that said if you think I am a jack ass, kick me in the ass. All day long people were kicking him in the ass and laughing. Finally he realized he had the sign on him all day. Another time we had this very feminine director and we rolled him up in a big carpet and he could not get out. Another time we had this British Director, GORDON, and Erik wanted to give him a birthday surprise, so we put a naked girl in his motor home and then told him to go in and take it easy during lunch. He came out bright red. Farting in a Styrofoam coffee cup and then asking someone to smell it and see if it was like Old Spice…..oh, hick humor.

Yes I was often mistaken for a real CHP and was asked for directions or where a building was downtown. I would cruise around on my motor in tough areas and that would make the producers very nervous. One day I was splitting traffic and people were looking at me real funny…..because I was not on my motor but I was traveling about 25 mph by them in their cars stuck in traffic. I was on my motorized skateboard.

 

Dear Larry,

I have been a fan since the beginning and always wanted to ask you this. Did the continuity issues in CHiPs 99 bother you? I mean according to that movie, Ponch left, not Jon, invalidating the 6th season yet Bruce was still around. It made us CHiPs fans heads hurt! Is continuity as important to actors as it is to viewers?

Sally
St. Louis, MO

No, it did not bother me….it was another paying job. But I blame this on the fact that Cy Chermak was not the producer and so Rick Rosner was just in his own sandbox and even he had no continuity. In acting, matching your moves in a wide shot to a medium shot to a close shop is what we refer to as continuity and yes that matters a lot. I think the actors felt this reunion movie was a leap in faith….so we rolled with it but normally an actor is very concerned about the linear follow through.

 

Dear Larry,

I was at the reunion and loved every moment. The blooper reel was a joy. I loved seeing you and Erik and the other cast members having so much fun. It just reinforces my belief that all those tabloid stories about your hatred for each other were BS! Did you enjoy watching it as much as we fans did?

Marla
Las Vegas, NV

Marla,

People and fans wanted Jon and Ponch to get along…..they were buddies and were meant to be buddies. I really think we got a long but maybe Erik did not……not sure. But I do know the press and some little gossiping extras sure enjoyed the bullshit drama. I loved watching the blooper real with all of my buddies who were present at the Hilton that day….cast and fans!

 

Dear Larry,

Huge CHiPs fan here! Maybe you can help solve a disagreement I’m having with my brother. He says people only love their parents, spouses and families and that it’s not possible for friends to love each other. He says friendship and love are mutually exclusive. I think he’s wrong. I have friends of both sexes I love deeply and consider family. What do you think?

Kara
Dallas, TX

Karla

Well first in this deductive logic process….LOL….you have to define your version of love and his version of love. Since I do not know those definitions I cannot honestly tell you. For me, your brother is correct….I feel a deep love for my family, a love that is laced with our mutual blood and genes and I do not feel that for friends and others in the same way. I may love them or like them deeply but not in the same sense of the word. Eric Fromm talks about the different kinds of LOVE and that is what we have here.

 

Dear Larry,

I’ve always been curious, did you watch the first episode of the 6th season? I think I speak for all CHiPs fans when I say it broke our hearts! We were all waiting to say goodbye to Jon but it never happened. Did the flippant way they handled it bother you at all? The character and you deserved better. Would you have come back for a guest appearance if they’d asked?

Laura
Washington DC

Laura,

No I did not watch the first episode of the 6th season. I was recently told by an inside person that Erik met with NBC and asked for my removal. I have no need to wallow in that stuff but they probably could have handled it better but I have no clue how they handled it….to this day. I doubt that I would have done a guest appearance due to what my agent, manager and attorney reported back to me….some very vile and ugly stuff. So I prefer to move on and be positive as negativity does no one any good. I am happy with the 5 years and happy that I moved on and I have NO ill feelings.

Dear Larry,

You know you have tons of fans, but who are you a fan of? What singers, actors, writers, etc are your faves?

Dayna
Mississippi

Dayna

I like most of the Country singers from Kenny Chesney to Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band,. I like jazz of all kinds and the old Boz Skaggs stuff, Kenny Rankin, Lee Ritenauer. I even like Justin Bieber, Usher, Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Phillip Phillips, Rhianna, Seal, Sweedish House Mafia, Santana, Lionel Ritchie, John Mayer, Jack Johnson and of course ALICIA KEYES.

Writers….all the classics; philosophers; nutrition experts; psychology and parenting experts; don’t like fiction in most cases but love my old friend John Steinbeck.

Actors – Marlon Brando; James Dean; Lee Marvin; John Durea; Michael Parks; Robert Downey Jr; Leonardo DiCaprio.

 

Dear Larry,

What was it like during the 5th season when Erik left and was replaced? I have to say I really love those episodes. You all seem so much more relaxed and the chemistry between you all was really shining.

Cal
Florida

Cal

It was a feeling of relief and everyone just seemed to sigh as drama was gone…..and it was now just a show about relationships vs. an individual. I felt really relaxed but, most of the gossip mongers continued to say the show would not work without Erik and Larry. I have no idea if it would have worked without Erik or not.

Larry