‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ star dead at 60 - Local News - Orange County, CA - Santa Ana, CA
& 13; Who could forget Juan Epstein? & 13;
Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein, to be exact -- the fast-talking Jewish-Puerto Rican character on "Welcome Back, Kotter."
The 1970s sitcom made a handsome young actor named John Travolta famous.
But Robert Hegyes, who played Juan, was memorable, too. His hair alone -- a bushy mane that seemingly defied gravity -- was an icon.
Hegyes died this morning at his home in Metuchen, NJ. He was 60. The actor suffered chest pains; the cause of death was apparently a heart attack.
Hegyes and his fellow Sweathogs last reunited in 2011 at the TV Land Awards to honor the show's 35th anniversary.
On his website, Hegyes revealed his inspiration for the character: Chico Marx, whom he played in a national touring production of "A Night With Groucho."
Hegyes loved 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 a heart attack a couple of years ago and was wrestling with several health problems. Metuchen police responded to a call for medical assistance from Hegyes' home shortly after 9 a.m. EST. By the time he reached the hospital at 9:40 a.m. the actor was in full cardiac arrest.
Hegyes leaves behind three siblings, two children, Cassie and Mack, and two step-children, Sophia and Alex.
Contact the writer: NJ.com contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com
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