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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
Movies and shows, newest first
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2004
Living in TV Land
TV show
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2003
ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Movie Self
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2001
So Little Time
TV show Vice Principal Connor
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2000
Bar Hopping
Movie Unseen Customer
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1999
L.A. Heat
TV show
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1998
The Pandora Project
Movie Enrique Gutierrez
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1995
The Drew Carey Show
TV show Robert Hegyes
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1995
NewsRadio
TV show Al
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1994
Cagney & Lacey: The Return
Movie Esposito
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1993
Diagnosis: Murder
TV show Mr. Wolf
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1992
Bob Roberts
Movie Ernesto Galleano
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1991
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers
Movie Reader
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1990
Kill Crazy
Movie Harry Durosa
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1984
E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind
Movie Raoul
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1982
For Lovers Only
Movie Frankie Spoleto
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1982
Cagney & Lacey
TV show Manny Esposito
More credits
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1981
Lewis & Clark
TV show
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1981
Underground Aces
Movie Tico
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1980
A Cry for Love
Movie Pizza Counterman
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1979
$weepstake$
TV show
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1978
Just Tell Me You Love Me
Movie Ricky
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1977
The Love Boat
TV show Danny
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1977
CHiPs
TV show
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1977
The Brady Bunch Hour
TV show
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1976
Battle of the Network Stars
TV show
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1976
Cos
TV show
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1976
Law and Order
Movie Angelo
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1976
Donny & Marie
TV show Self
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1975
Saturday Night Live
TV show Self (uncredited)
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1975
Welcome Back, Kotter
TV show Juan Epstein
- 1972
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1972
The Streets of San Francisco
TV show
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1961
The Mike Douglas Show
TV show Self - Guest