American actor (1951?2012)
Robert Hegyes
|
---|
Robert Hegyes in October 2008
|
Born
| Robert Bruce Hegyes
(
1951-05-07
)
May 7, 1951
|
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Died
| January 26, 2012
(2012-01-26)
(aged 60)
|
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Occupation
| Actor
|
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Years active
| 1975?2012
|
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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)
|
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Robert Bruce Hegyes
(pronounced
Hedyes
; 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
sitcom
Welcome Back, Kotter
and as detective Manny Esposito on the 1980s American
crime drama
Cagney & Lacey
. He was the cousin of rock musician
Jon Bon Jovi
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Hegyes was born in
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
, to a
Hungarian
-American father, Stephen, and an
Italian
-American mother, Marie Dominica Cocozza. Hegyes was the oldest of four children (Mark, Stephanie, and Elizabeth).
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
Haddon Township High School
, with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech/Theater and Secondary Education, Hegyes ventured to New York City to pursue a career in acting and soon became a member of a
Greenwich Village
children's theater group called "Theater in a Trunk," performing educational theater at U.S. President
Theodore Roosevelt
's birthplace, on East 20th Street. Hegyes continued performing in the Village in educational children's theater, this time as a
puppeteer
with an arm and rod puppet company, playing Mr. Toad in
The Wind in the Willows.
Robert managed to work a third performing job in
Washington Square Park
and at the
Provincetown Playhouse
as a member of the political improvisational guerrilla troupe, "Jack LaRumpa's Flying Drum & Kazoo Band."
Career
[
edit
]
Within a year of graduating from college, Hegyes was cast to co-star in the highly acclaimed
Off Broadway
drama
Naomi Court
, starring actor
Brad Davis
(star of
Midnight Express
). After completing the successful
Manhattan Theater Club
engagement, Hegyes was cast by
Tony Award
- winning actor
Len Cariou
(making his directing debut) to co-star in the Broadway drama,
Don't Call Back
, starring
Arlene Francis
and
Dorian Harewood
. While performing on Broadway, Hegyes auditioned for
television producer
James Komack
and was cast to star in what was to become the award-winning
ABC
comedy
,
Welcome Back, Kotter
. Hegyes portrayed the character of Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein (typically referred to as simply "Epstein"). The show lasted four seasons, from 1975 to 1979. Hegyes became one of the show's directors at age 25.
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
Los Angeles
stage debut as "
Chico Marx
" in the Westwood and national touring company engagements of
An Evening with Groucho
. Upon returning from the tour, Hegyes was cast by producer Barney Rosenzweig to star as a series regular portraying undercover detective "Manny Esposito" in
Cagney & Lacey
. During this time he also appeared on the game show
Pyramid
from time to time, and on
Match Game
.
Hegyes became "Artist-in-Residence" at his alma mater, Rowan University, teaching
screenplay
writing,
acting
for camera and
public speaking
, and was a guest lecturer in the Radio/Television/Film & Theater Departments. He was an adjunct instructor at Brooks College in
Long Beach, California
, where he taught essay writing and public speaking. Hegyes was a California Certified
Secondary Education
teacher, but had worked infrequently in recent years.
[
citation needed
]
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
On January 26, 2012, after suffering from chest pains at his home in
Metuchen, New Jersey
, Hegyes died from an apparent heart attack at
John F. Kennedy Medical Center
in
Edison, New Jersey
, at age 60.
[1]
Filmography
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
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)
|
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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:
- "Rita Moreno & Robert Hegyes" (S 4:Ep 39?44)
- "Anita Gillette & Robert Hegyes" S 4:Ep 50?55)
|
|
1977
|
The Brady Bunch Hour
|
Himself
|
Episode: "Episode 6" (S 1:Ep 7)
|
|
The $20,000 Pyramid
|
Himself
|
Episodes:
- "Kate Jackson & Robert Hegyes" (S 5:Ep 39?44)
- "Loretta Swit & Robert Hegyes" (S 5:Ep 48?53)
|
|
The Love Boat
|
Danny
|
Episode: "The Joker is Mild/First Time Out/Take My Granddaughter, Please: (S 1:Ep 6)
|
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1978
|
Chico and the Man
|
Zoltan
|
Episode: "Raul Runs Away, part 2" (S 4:Ep 14)
|
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1981
|
Lewis & Clark
|
Georgie
|
Episode: "The Uptight End" (S 1:Ep 5)
|
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1983
|
CHiPs
|
Sweets
|
Episode: "Fox Trap" {S 6:Ep 16)
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1986?1988
|
Cagney & Lacey
|
Detective Manny Esposito
|
Contract role
|
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1988
|
The $25,000 Pyramid
|
Himself
|
Episode: "Anne-Marie Johnson & Robert Hegyes"
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1992
|
Phil Donahue Show
|
Himself
|
Episode: "Famous Past Celebrities"
|
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1995
|
Saturday Night Live
|
Himself
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Episode: "Spade in America" (S 21:Ep 05)
|
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1997
|
Mr. Rhodes
|
Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein
|
Episode: "The Welcome Back Show" (S 1:Ep15)
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|
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)
|
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Newsradio
|
Sal (Credited as Al)
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Episode: "Who's the Boss? Pt 2" (S 4:Ep13)
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1999
|
L.A. Heat
|
Joe Goldfield
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Episode: "Rap Sheet" (S 1:Ep 10)
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2001
|
Black Scorpion
|
Speedbump
|
Epispde: "Home Sweet Homeless" (S 1:Ep 4)
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2004
|
Living in TV Land
|
Himself
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Episode: "Dick Van Patten" (S 1:Ep 1)
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2007
|
TV Land Confidential
|
Himself
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Episode: "Oddballs and Original Characters" (S 2:Ep 1)
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The Singing Bee
|
Himself
|
Episode: "Episode 117" (S 1:Ep 17)
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|
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]