Robert Hegyes

Robert Hegyes

Deceased · Born: May 7, 1951 · Died: Jan 26, 2012

Personal Details

Born May 7, 1951 Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA
Spouse
  • Lynn O'Hare

    ( Apr 1, 1987 to Apr 1, 1993 )
  • Kyle Drummer

    ( Dec 29, 1979 to Apr 1, 1984 )
  • Mary Kunes

    ( Sep 1, 1973 to Oct 3, 1978 )
Parents
  • Marie Dominica Cocozza
  • Stephen Hegyes
Relatives
  • Jon Bon Jovi (Cousin)
  • Mario Lanza (Cousin)

Biography

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".

Career

1998
The Pandora Project
The Pandora Project as Enrique Gutierrez
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Diagnosis Murder
Diagnosis Murder as Mr. Wolf
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1997
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show as Robert Hegyes
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NewsRadio
NewsRadio as Al
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1991
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers
1986
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey as Manny Esposito
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1984
E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind
1981
Underground Aces
Underground Aces as Tico
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1978
Just Tell Me You Love Me
Just Tell Me You Love Me as Ricky
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1977
The Love Boat
The Love Boat as Danny
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1975
Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter as Juan Epstein
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The Streets of San Francisco
1984
E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind
E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind as Director
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