# Robert Pine
**Robert Pine** (born Granville Whitelaw Pine, 1941) is an American character actor best known for playing Sergeant Joseph Getraer, the by-the-book commander of the [California Highway Patrol](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-highway-patrol) officers on the NBC series *CHiPs* from 1977 to 1983.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) Over a television career spanning five decades, he guest-starred on hundreds of series, appeared in films including *Independence Day* (1996) and *Red Eye* (2005), and is the father of actor [Chris Pine](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-pine).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Granville Whitelaw Pine, 1941, New York, NY[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) |
| Signature role | Sergeant Joseph Getraer on *CHiPs* (NBC, 1977–83), commanding officer of Jon Baker (Larry Wilcox) and Frank "Ponch" Poncherello (Erik Estrada)[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) |
| Education | Ohio Wesleyan University, graduated 1963; began as a pre-med student[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) • [3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) |
| Early career | Under contract to Universal Studios from spring 1964, guesting on the studio's series for three years[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) |
| Family | Married Gwynne Gilford, an actress and writer, on September 6, 1969; children Katherine and Chris, both actors[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) |
| Directing | Directed the *CHiPs* episodes "Overload" (1982) and "Things That Go Creep in the Night" (1983)[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) |
| Writing | Author of the play *Landscape with Waitress*, adapted as a PBS television special in 1986[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) |
## Early life and start in acting
Pine was born in New York City and raised in [Scarsdale, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/scarsdale-new-york), by his father, Granville, a patent attorney, and his mother, Virginia.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) His first stage experience came in high school productions at Scarsdale High School, where he appeared in four or five shows before graduating in 1959.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html)
He entered [Ohio Wesleyan University](https://www.edgepedia.org/ohio-wesleyan-university) as a pre-med student intending to become a doctor, and graduated in 1963.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) • [3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) The turn to acting came that summer on Nantucket Island, where the playwright Robert Anderson, whose plays include *Tea and Sympathy* and *I Never Sang for My Father*, saw him in a production and, as a family friend, offered to help him pursue an acting career.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) By the spring of 1964 Pine had an agent, a contract with Universal Studios, and an apartment in Beverly Hills.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html)
## Universal years and 1960s television
At Universal, Pine spent three years guesting on the studio's series, including *The Virginian*, *Wagon Train*, *Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre*, and *Kraft Suspense Theatre*, and appeared in five motion pictures, most notably *Munster, Go Home* (1966).[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) His first screen credit came with the *Kraft Suspense Theatre* episode "A Lion Amongst Men" in 1964.[4](https://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/an-interview-with-robert-pine/)
Through the rest of the decade he worked steadily as a guest player, appearing on Westerns such as *Gunsmoke*, *Bonanza*, and *The Wild Wild West*, and on series including *Run for Your Life*, *Lost in Space*, *The Mod Squad*, and *Medical Center*.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) In 1976 he had his first series role as [Paul Sorvino](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-sorvino)'s sidekick on the Quinn Martin production *Bert D'Angelo/Superstar* on ABC, which lasted only 12 episodes.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html)
## CHiPs
In 1977 Pine was cast as Sergeant Joe Getraer on *CHiPs*, a hit NBC series set in the California Highway Patrol.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) Getraer was the commanding officer and frequent exasperated straight man to the motorcycle officers Frank "Ponch" Poncherello ([Erik Estrada](https://www.edgepedia.org/erik-estrada)) and Jon Baker ([Larry Wilcox](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-wilcox)), and Pine brought what one profile calls a sarcastic exasperation to the role.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) The show mixed light comedy with action, spawned merchandise such as action figures and lunchboxes, and ran six seasons, ending in 1983; Pine stayed with the series for its full run.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/)
During this period he expanded into directing, helming the episodes "Overload" (1982) and "Things That Go Creep in the Night" (1983).[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) After the series ended, it continued in syndication and cable reruns, and Pine reprised Getraer as a California Highway Patrol commissioner in the 1998 reunion movie *CHiPs '99* on TNT.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941)
## Later career
After *CHiPs*, Pine remained a busy television guest actor through the 1980s and 1990s, with appearances on *The Love Boat*, *Hotel*, *Dallas*, *Dynasty*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *Matlock*, *MacGyver*, *The West Wing*, and *Six Feet Under*, among many others.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) He also worked in daytime, playing Walker Coleman on *Days of Our Lives* in 1987 and appearing intermittently as Stephen Logan on *The Bold and the Beautiful* between 1988 and 2001.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941)
His film work includes the president's Chief of Staff in the blockbuster *Independence Day* (1996), roles in *But I'm a Cheerleader* (1999) and *Red Eye* (2005), and earlier appearances in *The Graduate* and *The Day of the Locust*.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) • [3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) He also made two guest appearances in the *Star Trek* franchise, as Ambassador Liria in the *Star Trek: Voyager* episode "The Chute" (1996) and as Tavin in *Star Trek: Enterprise* (2002).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941)
**Theatre and writing.** Pine has remained active on stage, mainly in Los Angeles with the Antaeus Theatre Ensemble, which focuses on classical works from Shakespeare, Shaw, and Ibsen to [Tennessee Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/tennessee-williams), Arthur Miller, and [Caryl Churchill](https://www.edgepedia.org/caryl-churchill).[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) His stage roles include Trigorin in Chekhov's *The Seagull*, Cleante in Molière's *[The Imaginary Invalid](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-imaginary-invalid)*, Curly in *Oklahoma!*, and Marcello in *La Bohème*.[3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) • [1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) He is also the author of the play *Landscape with Waitress*, which PBS adapted as a television special in 1986.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941)
## Family
Pine married Gwynne Gilford, a former actress and writer who became a psychotherapist, on September 6, 1969.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) • [3](https://robertpine.com/biography.html) Their daughter [Katherine](https://www.edgepedia.org/katherine) is an actress, and their son Chris Pine, born in 1980, rose to stardom as Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot of *Star Trek*.[1](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/)
## References
1. [Pine, Robert 1941-, Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/pine-robert-1941)
2. [Robert Pine, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/robert-pine/)
3. [Robert Pine Official Website, Biography](https://robertpine.com/biography.html)
4. [An Interview With Robert Pine, The Classic TV History Blog](https://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/an-interview-with-robert-pine/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Pe to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license