Remembering A Great Comedy Series

Admittedly the role models were questionable at best, but Welcome Back Kotter was one of my children’s favorite shows when they were growing up. It was a fun show and the actors on it were extremely talented and always seemed to enjoy what they were doing.

NJ.com reported today that Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein on the show, died this morning in Metuchen,, New Jersey. He was 60.

The article reports:

He graduated from Rowan University (then Glassboro State College) with a bachelor’s degree in speech/theater and secondary education — Rowan spokesman Joe Cardona called him a “great friend” of the school, noting that he sported a Rowan shirt while co-starring as Det. Esposito on “Cagney and Lacey” — and quickly found work in New York, co-starring Off-Broadway in “Naomi Court” and in the Broadway drama “Don’t Call Back.” He was then cast as Epstein, a role he played for “Kotter”‘s four-season run on ABC.

Mr. Hegyes was part of a cast of characters that gave us a lot of laughs during the four-season run of Welcome Back Kotter. He represents a type of free-flowing comedy that we don’t seem to have on television at the present time. He will be missed.

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