Acting later and recent career
In 2002, Estrada was chosen to play Boris opposite grand slam actress Lorna Tolentino in the ABS-CBN soap Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. His foray into dramatic acting did not alienate him from the audiences who are used to see him cracking jokes on noontime TV. He was later named Best Drama Actor in 2003 Star Awards for Television. Soon after, when ABS-CBN decided to reformat MTB following Willie Revillame's termination, Estrada offered to resign from the show so that he could concentrate on acting. He was given another lead role in another ABS-CBN soap Hiram opposite Kris Aquino and Dina Bonnevie in 2004.
However, Estrada did not stick to leading man roles after Hiram. Instead, he tried his hand in doing villain roles in different soap operas on ABS-CBN. He returned to comedy when he accepted the role of Jim in the TV5 former sitcom Everybody Hapi with Long Mejia and Roxanne Guinoo. Due to the sitcom's numerous casting changes, the show was reformatted to Hapi Together with Carla Humphries, Leo Martinez, Callalily lead singer Kean Cipriano and former Everybody Hapi mainstays Nova Villa and Long Mejia. He returned to hosting for P.O.5 after 5 years since he was a former host of defunct ABS-CBN daily variety show, Magandang Tanghali Bayan, with P.O.5 co hosts Wilma Doesnt, Lucy Torres-Gomez, JC De Vera, Kean Cipriano and his best friend Richard "Goma" Gomez. Despite hosting and doing comedy for TV5, the Kapamilya Network still cast him for the inspirational drama Agua Bendita, in which he gained positive reviews. He was given a follow-up drama, Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin where he was reunited for the third time with grandslam actress Lorna Tolentino.
He subsequently gave up his hosting stint in P.O.5 after ABS-CBN commissioned him and Randy Santiago to return to noontime TV hosting thru Happy Yipee Yehey. He also resigned from Hapi Together where his lead role (as Geronimo) was replaced by Joey Marquez who assumed another role similar to Geronimo's character.
In 2014, Estrada starred in the melodrama, Ikaw Lamang where he reunited with Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin co-star Coco Martin as one of the main antagonists turned anti-hero Don Gonzalo Miravalez.
Estrada also earns the unofficial distinction as one of three Philippine actors that appeared as villains in both TV and movie versions of Mars Ravelo's Lastikman, along with Cherie Gil and Danilo Barrios.
In 2018, Estrada transferred to GMA Network after being with ABS-CBN for nearly 27 years, On May 2, he signed an exclusive contract with GMA Artist Center.
On August 23, 2021, Estrada returned to ABS-CBN. He was part of FPJ's Ang Probinsyano as the cunning yet power-hungry warlord Armando Silang. He portrayed one of the main antagonists in FPJ's Batang Quiapo as the ruthless, manipulative and brutal cop Rigor Dimaguiba.
In 2026, Estrada stars in the major family drama series Honor Thy Mother. The show is an unprecedented collaboration between ABS-CBN, GMA Network, and Prime Video.
