Robert Hegyes, Juan Epstein of 'Welcome Back Kotter' dead at 60 (http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2012/01/robert_hegyes_juan_epstein_of.html)

By Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger
Published: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 4:11 PM
Updated: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 4:48 PM

Robert Hegyes, the Jersey-born actor who played Jewish Puerto-Rican wheeler-dealer Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein on the 1970s classic "Welcome Back Kotter," died after an apparent heart attack in his Metuchen home this morning. He was 60.

Hegyes, who also co-starred on "Cagney and Lacey" and taught occasional master classes at his alma mater, Rowan University, was best known for his work on "Kotter," in which he performed alongside a young John Travolta as one of the tough remedial students known at the Sweathogs. Hegyes and nearly all of the original cast members reunited last year at the TV Land Awards to recognize the show's 35th anniversary.

On his website, Hegyes wrote that he modeled the swaggering, skirt-chasing Epstein after Chico Marx, whom he played in a national touring production of "A Night With Groucho." He was a big fan of the Marx Brothers: "They were immigrant Jews, and I was an immigrant Italian. Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo, and Zeppo were intellectuals ... They all played the piano and took music lessons, and they were all juvenile delinquents; I could definitely relate."

Hegyes had suffered a heart attack a couple of years ago and was not in good health, his brother Mark Hegyes of Montana said.. Metuchen police responded to a call for medical assistance from Hegyes' home at 9:02 a.m., and Hegyes, who was experiencing chest pains, was taken to JFK Medical Center in Edison, police said. By the time he arrived at the emergency room at 9:40 a.m., he was in full cardiac arrest and died, according to hospital spokesman Steven Weiss.

Hegyes, whose father was Hungarian-American and whose mother was Italian-American, grew up in Perth Amboy and Metuchen. He was one of the kids equally at home on the gridiron and in the footlights. His nickname: Chico. He wrote that his mother, a big Broadway musical and Frank Sinatra fan, stoked his theatrical ambitions, making him sing along with Ol' Blue Eyes and "incessantly" to "Maria" from "West Side Story."

He graduated from Rowan University (then Glassboro State College) with a bachelor's degree in speech/theater and secondary education -- Rowan spokesman Joe Cardona called him a "great friend" of the school, noting that he sported a Rowan shirt while co-starring as Det. Esposito on "Cagney and Lacey" -- and quickly found work in New York, co-starring Off-Broadway in "Naomi Court" and in the Broadway drama "Don't Call Back," and then was cast as Epstein, a role he played for the entire four-season run on ABC.

Following "Kotter" and "Cagney & Lacey," he continued to act on television, mostly in guest-starring roles including "NewsRadio," "Diagnosis Murder" and "The Drew Carey Show," and made occasional films, including "Bob Roberts" with Tim Robbins. He also taught at Brooks College of Long Beach, Calif., and wrote screenplays. He was retired but still talked about directing and getting involved in local arts efforts, Mark Hegyes said. "He always had these great schemes," his brother said, "but last week he said I'm not going to do that anymore."

Hegyes leaves behind three siblings, two children, Cassie and Mack, and two step-children, Sophia and Alex.

Visitation will be at Flynn & Son Funeral Home at 23 Ford Ave., Fords, on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The funeral will take place during the evening visiting hours.

-- Star-Ledger staff writer Tom Haydon contributed to this report.

OMG. I am shocked. It was just a year ago that the whole cast appeared at the TV Land Awards. :(

Such very sad news, I had no idea he'd previously suffered a heart attack & wasn't in the best of health. Rest in peace.

rip robert and thanks for all the laughs

I leave the house for 15 minutes and look what happens. :(

:rip: Robert

I was just watching some WBK episodes on DVD the other night. This is very sad. 60 years old. Too young.

Rest well, Mr. Hegyes.

Very sad news, indeed. Very shocking, as well.

:rip: "Epstein".

Rest in peace RH.

Rest in peace RH.
Juan Epstien was quite a character. I wonder if John Travolta and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs will attend his funeral, I hope that they do.

and Ron Pollio and Gabe Kabplan this is so sad hope there going be WBK Marathon to honor his memory

RIP. Welcome Back Kotter was a very underrated show and hopefully it will see the light of day soon. At least the whole cast reunited one last time before he died.

Oh no!!!! He was such a nice man, too - and so young. :rip:

This news breaks my heart. :( May he rest in peace.

OMG. I am shocked. It was just a year ago that the whole cast appeared at the TV Land Awards. :(

Yeah, it seems like somewhat of a blessing that reunion happened when it did!!

Actually, Ron Palillo couldn't attend the TV Land Awards at the last minute because he had taken ill (and supposedly had emergency surgery). :( So we didn't get everyone together then, but everyone had stayed in touch throughout the years.

Wow! I never saw this one coming! :rip:

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2012/news/120206/robert-hegyes-300.jpg

I was just watching some WBK episodes on DVD the other night. This is very sad. 60 years old. Too young.

Rest well, Mr. Hegyes.

I just brought out my Kotter season 1 set on Saturday with intention of watching it.

This sucks.

Rest in Peace Robert.
You will be missed.
:(

i did to today watched a few episodes with epstein good ones to this real sad may he Rip which other seasons was released

On Facebook, Ron "Horshack" Palillo addressed the passing of Robert Hegyes:

"Thank you all who wrote and said you were sorry for the loss of my dear friend. I am so numbed by all this. I just got off the phone with Larry Jacobs and we laughed and reminisced and it still hasn't hit me. I think when I am alone the tears will pour. Right now, it's a news item. I am thinking. right now, that I don't want to believe it. Or can't."

On Robert Hegyes' FB wall, he wrote:

"Missing you.
Remembering you.
Smiling.
Ron"

Yeah, it seems like somewhat of a blessing that reunion happened when it did!!

I know. I was thinking the same thing. Wow is all I cam say.

Was so sorry to hear about this. Had the chance to interview him a few years ago and he was incredibly nice. Obviously a very talented actor. He'll be greatly missed.

So sad. He was the same age my late hubby would've been in a heart attack hadn't taken him in 2009. Such a shock. I had no idea he was in bad health either. He will be missed and will always be our Epstein. He and Kotter were a part of my teenage yrs so many yrs ago. RIP...

Ron Palillo was the oldest of the four "students" who was almost 30 when the show went off. Funny thing, he was the only one of the four who still looked like a teenager.

Maybe Hegyes wasn't in bad health. Sometimes people just have a heart attack out of the blue and drops dead. David Graf, who played Tackleberry in the Polics Academy films more or less keeled over during a family wedding. John Ritter and Tim Russert were at work when they died suddenly. I had an elderly aunt in her 80's that was in good health until the last week of her life and then die. It happens that way. Much better than to be eaten away by cancer or some other horrible disease and linger on and on and on.

My grandfather died in his sleep of a massive heart attack at age 58, in the summer of 1974 - a mere 3 1/2 months before my parents' wedding. So Bobby Hegyes' situation kind of reminds me of that. How sad for his many family and friends, especially his children. :(

RIP Robert thanks for the laughs :( He didn't look good at their reunion on the tvland awards and had a walker with him. I'm not that surprised but, yeah 60 is too young.

R.I.P. Bobby; you will certainly never be forgotten. And Epstein, don't give Mr. Woodman any trouble.

This is sad news. RIP:(

Very shocking and sad. :( Epstein was one of my favorite sweathogs. R.I.P. Robert. :(

Pav, have you heard anything about a WBK mini-marathon spotlighting Epstein? I'd love to see it if someone at TV Land or whatever puts one together.

RIP Robert thanks for the laughs :( He didn't look good at their reunion on the tvland awards and had a walker with him. I'm not that surprised but, yeah 60 is too young.

I was thinking the same thing, seeing some recent pictures of him he wasn't looking too good. I remember that Love Boat episode he was in with Maureen McCormick, that was a good episode. RIP Mr. Hegyes, thanks for the laughs on Welcome Back Kotter.

Maybe Hegyes wasn't in bad health. Sometimes people just have a heart attack out of the blue and drops dead. David Graf, who played Tackleberry in the Polics Academy films more or less keeled over during a family wedding. John Ritter and Tim Russert were at work when they died suddenly.

While it is very sad that Robert Hegyes passed away at age 60 from a heart attack, I would like to point out that being over weight is bad health and all the names you mentioned who died of a heart attack or heart related issues were all over weight. This type of death is always a wake up call for people to eat healthy, exercise daily/stay active (walking for 30 minutes is always good) and not smoke or drink alcohol which can contribute to a heart attack or stroke. Stay healthy and live longer!
RIP Robert "Juan Epstein" Hegyes...

These things usually happen in threes - first James Farentino, then Robert Hegyes...I hope I'm wrong about this...:eek:

It's such a shock that Robert Hegyes, the actor who played Epstein, referred to by Horshack as "Little Juan" passed away. He was very funny on Welcome Back, Kotter and he will be missed. May he rest in peace.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/welcome-back-kotter-how-robert-hegyes-epstein-changed-tv.html

January 27, 2012 | 4:55 pm

"Welcome Back, Kotter" television star Robert Hegyes died Thursday, giving millions of Americans pause to reflect back in time to 1975, when Epstein, Vinnie Barbarino and the other "Sweathogs" ruled.

The plot for "Welcome Back, Kotter" might sound a little familiar to Gleeks (problem student becomes teacher, returns to old stomping grounds). And, like "Glee," the show was groundbreaking -- and plenty controversial -- when it was introduced into ABC's prime-time line-up.

The show lasted four seasons and launched John Travolta's career. But It captivated the nation with it's racially diverse cast and edgy story line involving high school misfits.

Perhaps that explains why "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "Epstein" have remained some of the most Googled terms in America since news that Hegyes died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in New Jersey.

TV historian Robert Thompson explained why "Welcome Back, Kotter," a show that was pulled from the air in 1979, struck such a chord with viewers.

To begin with, the show, which starred Gabe Kaplan as teacher to a bunch of misunderstood students, created controversy before it even aired. An ABC affiliate in Boston initially refused to air the show. At the time, the city was in the midst of a school busing crisis, and there were fears that the show's racially integrated classroom would inflame tensions. Elsewhere, teachers feared the show would glorify, and encourage, student high jinks.

It ultimately introduced America to a diverse, economically struggling slice of life rarely seen on TV.

"'Kotter' was important in that respect. You had this racially diverse cast and yet they didn't make a big deal out of it. They were integrated as something that was natural and at the time not even worthy of comment," he said. "That was a pretty progressive thing to do."

The setting itself was unique. Today's TV writers know that high school is a rich area to mine for drama, Thompson said. "You're at this stage between childhood and adulthood, you're sexually mature, but still limited by rules of childhood.... It doesn't get much more dramatic than high school," yet that territory was virtually untrod before "Welcome Back Kotter" came along, he said.

"Maybe it didn't do it as well as '90210' would later do it, but for the 1970s it did a pretty good job. It nailed high school."

It also nailed life in Brooklyn, giving the New York City borough its own identity in the shadow of glitzier Manhattan, he said. (In fact, Brooklyn got top billing in the show's intro -- see above -- as John Sebastian crooned the "Welcome Back" theme song.)

And then there were those accents. Not only weren't they watered down to appeal to Middle America, they were allowed to take center stage.

"It really allowed a heavy dialect to play," he said. "This is one of the first times that was really featured as a major part of all of the characters."

The entire cast had catch phases, which spread through the nation like wildfire at a time when there was no social media to help speed things along, like "up your nose with a rubber hose." Hegyes character, Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein -- a proud Puerto Rican Jew, as he liked to remind anyone who would listen -- was known for forging notes from "Epstein's mother."

"People haven't been talking about 'Welcome Back, Kotter' for years, but if you are of a certain age, it has always been humming somewhere in the back of your brain," said Thompson, founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

"There's this deep affection for people who either watched it the first time around, or saw it in reruns. When you hear some member of the cast has died, you realize how precious a show like this is to your own memory."

And when you think about the 1970s, Thompson said, you think about disco. And "Saturday Night Fever." And John Travolta. "If I had to name 10 things that say 1970s, 'Welcome Back Kotter' would be somewhere on that list," he said.

I just brought out my Kotter season 1 set on Saturday with intention of watching it.

This sucks.

Rest in Peace Robert.
You will be missed.
:(


I think that's what I will do tomorrow and have my own tribute.

Ron Palillo also wrote this on his FB page:

"There is a hole in my heart where Bobby Hegyes once resided. I will miss his friendship, support, and love. At least there are still those memories and those can never pass away."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/welcome-back-kotter-how-robert-hegyes-epstein-changed-tv.html

January 27, 2012 | 4:55 pm

"Welcome Back, Kotter" television star Robert Hegyes died Thursday, giving millions of Americans pause to reflect back in time to 1975, when Epstein, Vinnie Barbarino and the other "Sweathogs" ruled.

The plot for "Welcome Back, Kotter" might sound a little familiar to Gleeks (problem student becomes teacher, returns to old stomping grounds). And, like "Glee," the show was groundbreaking -- and plenty controversial -- when it was introduced into ABC's prime-time line-up.

The show lasted four seasons and launched John Travolta's career. But It captivated the nation with it's racially diverse cast and edgy story line involving high school misfits.

Perhaps that explains why "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "Epstein" have remained some of the most Googled terms in America since news that Hegyes died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in New Jersey.

TV historian Robert Thompson explained why "Welcome Back, Kotter," a show that was pulled from the air in 1979, struck such a chord with viewers.

To begin with, the show, which starred Gabe Kaplan as teacher to a bunch of misunderstood students, created controversy before it even aired. An ABC affiliate in Boston initially refused to air the show. At the time, the city was in the midst of a school busing crisis, and there were fears that the show's racially integrated classroom would inflame tensions. Elsewhere, teachers feared the show would glorify, and encourage, student high jinks.

It ultimately introduced America to a diverse, economically struggling slice of life rarely seen on TV.

"'Kotter' was important in that respect. You had this racially diverse cast and yet they didn't make a big deal out of it. They were integrated as something that was natural and at the time not even worthy of comment," he said. "That was a pretty progressive thing to do."

The setting itself was unique. Today's TV writers know that high school is a rich area to mine for drama, Thompson said. "You're at this stage between childhood and adulthood, you're sexually mature, but still limited by rules of childhood.... It doesn't get much more dramatic than high school," yet that territory was virtually untrod before "Welcome Back Kotter" came along, he said.

"Maybe it didn't do it as well as '90210' would later do it, but for the 1970s it did a pretty good job. It nailed high school."

It also nailed life in Brooklyn, giving the New York City borough its own identity in the shadow of glitzier Manhattan, he said. (In fact, Brooklyn got top billing in the show's intro -- see above -- as John Sebastian crooned the "Welcome Back" theme song.)

And then there were those accents. Not only weren't they watered down to appeal to Middle America, they were allowed to take center stage.

"It really allowed a heavy dialect to play," he said. "This is one of the first times that was really featured as a major part of all of the characters."

The entire cast had catch phases, which spread through the nation like wildfire at a time when there was no social media to help speed things along, like "up your nose with a rubber hose." Hegyes character, Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein -- a proud Puerto Rican Jew, as he liked to remind anyone who would listen -- was known for forging notes from "Epstein's mother."

"People haven't been talking about 'Welcome Back, Kotter' for years, but if you are of a certain age, it has always been humming somewhere in the back of your brain," said Thompson, founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

"There's this deep affection for people who either watched it the first time around, or saw it in reruns. When you hear some member of the cast has died, you realize how precious a show like this is to your own memory."

And when you think about the 1970s, Thompson said, you think about disco. And "Saturday Night Fever." And John Travolta. "If I had to name 10 things that say 1970s, 'Welcome Back Kotter' would be somewhere on that list," he said.

Excellent piece.

No word from any of his other castmates (besides Ron) about his death.

R.I.P. Robert was the same age as my uncle, my dad just turned 59 last week.

I saw Robert in an episode of the Canadian series 'Whatever Happened To...'. Ron Pallilo was in another episode.

To me, he didn't look well at the TV Land awards less than a year ago. John looked fine and so did Larry, but Robert scared me when I saw him. Still, it shocked me that he would be gone less than a year later. :(

I'm totally frustrated that no one from the show has EVER commented about his death (only Ron has). What's up with that?

If any of them have said anything - I haven't heard it. :(

I'm really surprised that no one else in the cast except Ron commented about his death. I'm also disappointed at Entertainment Tonight for not mentioning his death. They spent the whole Friday show talking, analyzing and dissecting the Demi Moore 911 call. :rolleyes: So annoying. The Insider at least took time out to mention his passing.

I'm really surprised that no one else in the cast except Ron commented about his death. I'm also disappointed at Entertainment Tonight for not mentioning his death. They spent the whole Friday show talking, analyzing and dissecting the Demi Moore 911 call. :rolleyes: So annoying. The Insider at least took time out to mention his passing.
There always a chance the cast really were not friends. You have to remember it was a job that they were doing. Many people meet people through work and work with them for years then never really see them. They hear of a co worker who passed but really do not take time out unless they were close friends or stayed in touch.

There always a chance the cast really were not friends. You have to remember it was a job that they were doing. Many people meet people through work and work with them for years then never really see them. They hear of a co worker who passed but really do not take time out unless they were close friends or stayed in touch.

Seeing them a the TVland Awards reunion was interesting and revealing. John Travolta, the only one to become a major star, was so enthusiastic about the whole thing, and yet he probably has had no contact with anybody in years. Larry, Bobby and Marcia got into all the nostalgia too. Gabe, however, was the last to commit to appearing, and didn't seem to care about being there at all. I think Bobby Hedges and Ron Palillo (who was ill and couldn't attend), were the only ones who stayed in touch over the years.

There always a chance the cast really were not friends. You have to remember it was a job that they were doing. Many people meet people through work and work with them for years then never really see them. They hear of a co worker who passed but really do not take time out unless they were close friends or stayed in touch.

I've worked with people that I've gotten along with great, but never socialized or hung out outside of work.

Bobby Hegyes lived in New Jersey and Ron Palillo in NYC, so they weren't living that far apart when Bobby passed. Also, I agree with Chris (Dr. Thong) that I've had a lot of great co-workers that I never saw outside of the job. We spent more time with each other than with our own families, but once we were off the clock, we needed the time to recharge our batteries.