Robert Hegyes, Juan Epstein of 'Welcome Back Kotter' dead at 60 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AKA · 01-26-2012, 05:50 PM

Robert Hegyes, Juan Epstein of 'Welcome Back Kotter' dead at 60

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.

Mr. Television · 01-26-2012, 05:59 PM

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

AB · 01-26-2012, 06:04 PM

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.

70s show watcher · 01-26-2012, 06:08 PM

rip robert and thanks for all the laughs

Zoneboy · 01-26-2012, 06:12 PM

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

Robert

Dr. Thong · 01-26-2012, 06:57 PM

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.

Retro4Life · 01-26-2012, 07:41 PM

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

"Epstein".

duckie · 01-26-2012, 08:07 PM

Rest in peace RH.

Tiger32 · 01-26-2012, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duckie

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.

MikeLutton · 01-26-2012, 09:14 PM

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

mets82 · 01-26-2012, 09:22 PM

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.

catlover79 · 01-26-2012, 09:30 PM

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

ZeldaGilroy · 01-26-2012, 09:48 PM

This news breaks my heart.

May he rest in peace.

McGillicuddy · 01-26-2012, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

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!!

catlover79 · 01-26-2012, 09:59 PM

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.

01-26-2012, 05:50 PM	#1
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	Robert Hegyes, Juan Epstein of 'Welcome Back Kotter' dead at 60 Robert Hegyes, Juan Epstein of 'Welcome Back Kotter' dead at 60 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.

01-26-2012, 05:59 PM	#2
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	OMG. I am shocked. It was just a year ago that the whole cast appeared at the TV Land Awards.
	__________________ Sonny

01-26-2012, 06:12 PM	#5
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,381	I leave the house for 15 minutes and look what happens. Robert
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01-26-2012, 06:57 PM	#6
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	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.
	__________________ "Sunday has been cancelled due to lack of interest. That is all."

01-26-2012, 07:41 PM	#7
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Very sad news, indeed. Very shocking, as well. "Epstein".
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

01-26-2012, 06:04 PM	#3
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,429	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.

01-26-2012, 06:08 PM	#4
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	rip robert and thanks for all the laughs

01-26-2012, 08:07 PM	#8
duckie Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 13, 2011 Location: south Posts: 1,784	Rest in peace RH.

01-26-2012, 09:14 PM	#10
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,886	and Ron Pollio and Gabe Kabplan this is so sad hope there going be WBK Marathon to honor his memory
	__________________ Tv And DVD Addict got over a hundred dvds in my collection more than anyone in the neighborhood. also huge Animal lover family man

01-26-2012, 09:22 PM	#11
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	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.
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01-26-2012, 09:30 PM	#12
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Oh no!!!! He was such a nice man, too - and so young.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

01-26-2012, 09:48 PM	#13
ZeldaGilroy Dobie and Zelda Forever!!! Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 14, 2000 Location: I don't know...I'm probably lost! Posts: 4,144	This news breaks my heart. May he rest in peace.
	__________________ *Formerly FactsFan* "I always carry a spare wedding ring. A single girl never knows when lightning may strike." ~Zelda Gilroy

01-26-2012, 09:59 PM	#15
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	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.