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Robert Hegyes

Robert Hegyes

Known for: Acting

Born 07/05/1951
Died 2012-01-26
Place of birth Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA

Robert Hegyes was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to an Hungarian-American father, Stephen, and an Italian-American mother, Marie Dominica (Cocozza). He is the eldest of their children. The others are: Mark Hegyes, MD - Billings, Montana, Ms. Stephanie Hegyes - Princeton, New Jersey, and Ms. Elizabeth Cocozza - Los Angeles, California. Robert began studying acting in earnest at Metuchen High School under the direction of Dr. Barton Shepard, Ph.D, in the mid-1960s. He was accepted into the Theater Program at Rown University of New Jersey (formerly Glassboro State College) and, in the early 1970s, graduated with a BA in Theater & Secondary Education. Hegyes then ventured into New York City to practice his trade, immediately taking up with the "Greenwich Village Children's Repertory Companies", "Theater in a Trunk", and "The NYC Children's Puppet Ensemble". In short order Robert hooked up with his third Greenwhich Village troupe, "Jack LaRumpa's Flying Drum & Kazoo Band", performing improvisational anti-war comedy in Washington Square and the Provincetown Playhouse. Within a year of graduating from Rowan, Hegyes was cast to co-star in the Manhattan Theater Club Emsmble's highly-acclaimed drama, "Naomi Court", which starred another young actor, Brad Davis (of Midnight Express (1978)). After completing that successful engagement Robert was tapped to co-star for Tony Award-winning actor/director Len Cariou, A Little Night Music (1977) & Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982), in the Broadway drama, "Don't Call Back", starring Arlene Francis at the Helen Hayes Theater. It was during the run of that Broadway drama that he was cast by producer James Komack to star in the award-winning comedy series, Welcome Back, Kotter (1975) and, at the age of twenty-five, became one of the show's directors. Robert has guest-starred in over thirty episodic series, including Saturday Night Live (1975) with host Quentin Tarantino, Diagnosis Murder (1993) with Dick Van Dyke and The Drew Carey Show (1995). He has starred in the award-nominated "Passat" commercial, "The Chase", for director Kinka Usher and in the feature films, Honeymoon Hotel (2004) opposite Jane Kaczmarek, Underground Aces (1981) with Melanie Griffith, Bob Roberts (1992) for director Tim Robbins, Purpose (2002) starring Mia Farrow, and Bar Hopping (2000) alongside Kevin Nealon. Hegyes made his Los Angeles stage debut to rave notices as Chico Marx in Arthur Marx's play, "An Evening with Groucho", and was shortly thereafter cast as a series regular starring in the award-winning drama, Cagney & Lacey (1981). Robert has been awarded a lifetime artist-in-residence status at his alma mater and has taught there and continues to guest lecture regularly. He is also a California Certified Secondary Education Teacher and teaches for the Los Angeles Unified School District at Venice High School. As a long-time resident of Venice, California, Robert and partner Craig Titley, (Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)) developed the original Internet series, "The Venice Walk".

Filmography

Saturday Night Live Series ★ 6,9

Saturday Night Live

Self (uncredited)

1975

The Mike Douglas Show Series ★ 5,8

The Mike Douglas Show

Self - Guest

1961

Diagnosis: Murder Series ★ 7,1

Diagnosis: Murder

Mr. Wolf

1993

The Love Boat Series ★ 6,3

The Love Boat

Danny

1977

The Drew Carey Show Series ★ 6,5

The Drew Carey Show

Robert Hegyes

1995

Cagney & Lacey Series ★ 7,0

Cagney & Lacey

Manny Esposito

1982

NewsRadio Series ★ 7,3

NewsRadio

Al

1995

The Streets of San Francisco Series ★ 7,0

The Streets of San Francisco

1972

CHiPs Series ★ 6,9

CHiPs

1977

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest Series ★ 6,5

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

Self

1972

Battle of the Network Stars Series ★ 6,2

Battle of the Network Stars

1976

Donny & Marie Series ★ 7,1

Donny & Marie

Self

1976

L.A. Heat Series ★ 7,1

L.A. Heat

1999

Welcome Back, Kotter Series ★ 7,3

Welcome Back, Kotter

Juan Epstein

1975

Series

$weepstake$

1979

So Little Time Series ★ 7,6

So Little Time

Vice Principal Connor

2001

The Brady Bunch Hour Series ★ 4,3

The Brady Bunch Hour

1977

Bob Roberts Film ★ 6,5

Bob Roberts

Ernesto Galleano

1992

Series

Living in TV Land

2004

ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration Film ★ 8,0

ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Self

2003

Kill Crazy Film ★ 4,0

Kill Crazy

Harry Durosa

1990

Bar Hopping Film ★ 4,7

Bar Hopping

Unseen Customer

2000

Series ★ 6,0

Lewis & Clark

1981

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers Film ★ 6,3

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers

Reader

1991

Series ★ 3,0

Cos

1976

Law and Order Film ★ 8,0

Law and Order

Angelo

1976

The Pandora Project Film ★ 4,1

The Pandora Project

Enrique Gutierrez

1998

Underground Aces Film ★ 4,7

Underground Aces

Tico

1981

Cagney & Lacey: The Return Film ★ 6,8

Cagney & Lacey: The Return

Esposito

1994

Film ★ 2,8

Just Tell Me You Love Me

Ricky

1978

Film ★ 10,0

A Cry for Love

Pizza Counterman

1980

Film ★ 3,0

E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind

Raoul

1984

For Lovers Only Film ★ 9,0

For Lovers Only

Frankie Spoleto

1982