Robert Hegyes, Welcome Back Kotter Star, Dies at 60
by Free Britney at .Robert Hegyes, who played Jewish Puerto Rican wheeler-dealer Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein on the 1970s classic show Welcome Back Kotter, has died.
An apparent heart attack was the cause. He was 60.
Hegyes, a New Jersey native who also co-starred on Cagney and Lacey and taught classes at his alma mater, Rowan University, was best known for his role on Kotter.
Alongside John Travolta, he played one of the remedial students known as the Sweathogs, who reunited in 2011 at the TV Land Awards for the show's 35th anniversary.
Robert Hegyes, top right, starred in Welcome Back Kotter, alongside John Travolta, left, Ron Palillo, second from left, Gabe Kaplan, center, and Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs.
Robert Hegyes wrote that he modeled 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, 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," said Hegyes, whose health deteriorated of late.
R.I.P.
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Comments (4 Total)
Can remember the days of the sweat hogs, these were good clean family oriented shows, the kind you can watch with the family and not close your eyes if something was said unplesant, they were funny, unlike some of these today, apparently money talks, because I wouldnt go in my back yard to see some of these shows if they were on live in the yard, RIP
Robert Hegyes was my favorite sweathog. Believe it or not, I did not care that much for John Travolta, in spite of the fact that John was considered the most popular. I really don't care for John at all as an actor. He really wasn't that talented to me and he still isn't. So I didn't see what all the hoopla was about concerning him. I liked Robert Hegyes aka Juan Espstein! Rest in peace, Mr. Hegyes.
Right now he's giving St. Peter a note from Epstein's mother excusing him from being late.
RIP. I used to watch reruns for the show on nick at nite all the time. Great show, funny actors.