
Robert Hegyes
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 (33)
- TVLiving in TV Land2004
MOVIE★ 8.0ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration2003as Self
TV★ 7.6So Little Time2001as Vice Principal Connor
MOVIE★ 4.7Bar Hopping2000as Unseen Customer
TV★ 7.1L.A. Heat1999
MOVIE★ 4.1The Pandora Project1998as Enrique Gutierrez
TV★ 6.5The Drew Carey Show1995as Robert Hegyes
TV★ 7.3NewsRadio1995as Al
MOVIE★ 6.8Cagney & Lacey: The Return1994as Esposito
TV★ 7.1Diagnosis: Murder1993as Mr. Wolf
MOVIE★ 6.5Bob Roberts1992as Ernesto Galleano
MOVIE★ 6.3Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers1991as Reader
MOVIE★ 4.0Kill Crazy1990as Harry Durosa
MOVIE★ 3.0E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind1984as Raoul
MOVIE★ 9.0For Lovers Only1982as Frankie Spoleto
TV★ 6.9Cagney & Lacey1982as Manny Esposito- TV★ 6.0Lewis & Clark1981
MOVIE★ 4.7Underground Aces1981as Tico- MOVIE★ 10.0A Cry for Love1980as Pizza Counterman
- TV$weepstake$1979
- MOVIE★ 2.8Just Tell Me You Love Me1978as Ricky
TV★ 6.3The Love Boat1977as Danny
TV★ 6.9CHiPs1977
TV★ 3.8The Brady Bunch Hour1977
TV★ 6.4Battle of the Network Stars1976- TV★ 3.0Cos1976
MOVIE★ 8.0Law and Order1976as Angelo
TV★ 6.8Donny & Marie1976as Self
TV★ 6.9Saturday Night Live1975as Self (uncredited)
TV★ 7.3Welcome Back, Kotter1975as Juan Epstein
TV★ 6.5Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest1972as Self
TV★ 7.0The Streets of San Francisco1972
TV★ 5.8The Mike Douglas Show1961as Self - Guest