Robert Hegyes
Robert Hegyes | |
|---|---|
 Robert Hegyes in October 2008 | |
| Born | Robert Bruce Hegyes May 7, 1951 Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 2012 (aged 60) Edison, New Jersey, U.S.[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–2012 |
| Spouses | Mary Kunes
(m. 1973; div. 1977)Kyle Drummer
(m. 1979; div. 1984)Lynn O'Hare
(m. 1987; div. 1993) |
| Partner | Cynthia Wylie (1994–2007) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Jon Bon Jovi (cousin) |
Robert Bruce Hegyes (pronounced Hedyesh; May 7, 1951 – January 26, 2012) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of high school student Juan Epstein on the 1970s American
Early life
Hegyes was born in
He grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey, and began acting in high school in the mid-1960s under the guidance of Metuchen High School theater teacher, Barton Shepard.[2] Hegyes attended Glassboro State College after graduating from high school. While there, he worked part-time at the Hardee's fast food restaurant in town. Upon graduation from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) where he completed his student teaching requirement at
Career
Within a year of graduating from college, Hegyes was cast to co-star in the highly acclaimed
While on the show, he was the key force of the winning tug-of-war team on the 1976 edition of Battle of the Network Stars.[3]
Hegyes guest starred in more than thirty television shows, including Saturday Night Live, NewsRadio, Diagnosis: Murder, The Drew Carey Show, and The Streets of San Francisco. He also appeared in the award-winning Volkswagen Passat commercial "The Chase" for director Kinka Usher. Hegyes appeared in Honeymoon Hotel, Underground Aces, Bob Roberts, The Purpose, and Bar Hopping.
Hegyes made his
Hegyes became "Artist-in-Residence" at his alma mater, Rowan University, teaching
Having returned to live in his hometown of Metuchen, New Jersey in 2009, Hegyes made his last public appearance in early January 2012, reprising his "An Evening with Groucho" role as Chico Marx, this time in three performances of "The Marx Brothers: Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel," a staged radio play re-creating several episodes of the early-1930s broadcasts.
Personal life
Hegyes was married to Mary Kunes (1973–1977). He then married Kyle Drummer (1979–1984). With his third wife Lynn O'Hare (1987–1993), he had two children, Cassondra (Cassie) (b. 1987) and Mack (b. 1991). Hegyes was in a long-term relationship with Cynthia Wylie (1994–2007), who brought two children to the relationship, Alex (b. 1988) and Sophia (b. 1991)[4][5][6][7] He was the cousin of rock singer Jon Bon Jovi and opera singer Mario Lanza.[8]
Death
On January 26, 2012, after suffering from chest pains at his home in
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Just Tell Me You Love Me | Ricky | aka Hawaii Heat / Maui | |
| 1981 | Underground Aces | Tico | Directed by Robert Butler |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1979 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein | Contract role | |
| 1975 | The Streets of San Francisco | Richard "Richie" Martino | Episode: "School of Fear" (S 4:Ep 5) | |
| 1976 | Tattletales | Himself | Episode: "March 15, 1976" (S 3:Ep 29) | |
| Match Game '76 | Himself | Episode: "MG76-31" (S 4:Ep 31) | ||
| Cos | Himself | Episode: "Night Club/Bay City Rollers" (S 1:Ep 5) | ||
The $20,000 Pyramid
|
Himself | Episodes:
|
||
| 1977 | The Brady Bunch Hour | Himself | Episode: "Episode 6" (S 1:Ep 7) | |
| The $20,000 Pyramid | Himself | Episodes:
|
||
| The Love Boat | Danny | Episode: "The Joker is Mild/First Time Out/Take My Granddaughter, Please: (S 1:Ep 6) | ||
| 1978 | Chico and the Man | Zoltan | Episode: "Raul Runs Away, part 2" (S 4:Ep 14) | |
| 1981 | Lewis & Clark | Georgie | Episode: "The Uptight End" (S 1:Ep 5) | |
| 1983 | CHiPs | Sweets | Episode: "Fox Trap" {S 6:Ep 16) | |
| 1986–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Detective Manny Esposito | Contract role | |
| 1988 | The $25,000 Pyramid
|
Himself | Episode: "Anne-Marie Johnson & Robert Hegyes" | |
| 1995 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Episode: "Spade in America" (S 21:Ep 05) | |
| 1997 | Mr. Rhodes | Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein | Episode: "The Welcome Back Show" (S 1:Ep15) | |
| 1998 | The Drew Carey Show | Himself | Episode: "What's Wrong with This Episode?" (S 3:Ep 22) | |
Diagnosis Murder
|
Mr. Wolf | Episode: "Murder x 4" (S 6"Ep 10) | ||
| Newsradio | Sal (Credited as Al) | Episode: "Who's the Boss? Pt 2" (S 4:Ep13) | ||
| 1999 | L.A. Heat | Joe Goldfield | Episode: "Rap Sheet" (S 1:Ep 10) | |
| 2001 | Black Scorpion | Speedbump | Epispde: "Home Sweet Homeless" (S 1:Ep 4) | |
| 2004 | Living in TV Land | Himself | Episode: "Dick Van Patten" (S 1:Ep 1) | |
| 2007 | TV Land Confidential | Himself | Episode: "Oddballs and Original Characters" (S 2:Ep 1) | |
The Singing Bee
|
Himself | Episode: "Episode 117" (S 1:Ep 17) |
References
- ^ a b Kenneally, Tim (26 January 2012). "'Welcome Back, Kotter' star Robert Hegyes dies at 60". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via MSN Entertainment.
- ^ "About Robert Hegyes". Cinema Without Borders. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
- YouTube
- ^ Santo, Michael (26 January 2012). "Robert Hegyes of 'Welcome Back, Kotter' dies at 60". Huliq.
- ^ Kenneally, Tim (27 January 2012). "'Welcome Back, Kotter' Star Robert Hegyes Dies at 60". Reuters.
- ^ "Letter from Robert Hegyes 2000". Robert Hegyes Fan Club. Archived from the original on 2001-07-21. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ "Robert Hegyes biography". IMDb.
- ^ "Report: 'Welcome Back, Kotter' Star Dead At 60". KCAL News. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
External links
- Robert Hegyes at IMDb
- Robert Hegyes at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
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