Born in Maui, Hawaii, he moved to Los Angeles, where from 1959 to 1963 he played the role of cab driver Kazuo Kim in the Warner Bros. detective series Hawaiian Eye, on the ABC television network.

[1] The entertainment bug bit him, and upon return to civilian life, Ponce made the rounds of Hawaii's local talent contests and television and radio stations.

[citation needed] Los Angeles automobile dealer Bob Yeakel broadcast an 18-hour weekly amateur talent show called Rocket to Stardom[5] from his Wilshire Boulevard showroom.

Warner Bros. honchos William T. Orr[1] and Hugh Benson[1] happened to catch his act at Ben Blue's and thought he might be a good fit for their new production Hawaiian Eye.

[3] Ponce came to national attention in 1959 as the wise-cracking cab driver Kazuo Kim on the Warner Bros. detective series Hawaiian Eye,[7] which ran for four years on ABC.

Kazuo Kim was known for his trademark straw hat and ubiquitous ukulele, as a sometimes informant for the detectives,[8] or as he idly plucked the uke while leaning against his cab waiting for a fare.

Hawaiian Eye provided opportunities for Ponce, that continued after the show ended, to perform and make personal appearances around the globe.