Biography
Robert Hegyes was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to Stephen, a Hungarian-American father, and Marie Dominica (Cocozza), an Italian-American mother. He is the eldest of their children, which include Mark Hegyes, MD, from Billings, Montana; Stephanie Hegyes from Princeton, New Jersey; and Elizabeth Cocozza from Los Angeles, California.
Robert began seriously studying acting at Metuchen High School under Dr. Barton Shepard, Ph.D., in the mid-1960s. He was accepted into the Theater Program at Rowan University of New Jersey (formerly Glassboro State College) and graduated in the early 1970s with a BA in Theater and Secondary Education. Afterward, Hegyes moved to New York City to pursue his craft, joining the Greenwich Village Children's Repertory Companies, Theater in a Trunk, and the NYC Children's Puppet Ensemble. Soon, he became part of his third Greenwich Village troupe, Jack LaRumpa's Flying Drum & Kazoo Band, performing improvisational anti-war comedy in Washington Square and at the Provincetown Playhouse.
Within a year of graduating from Rowan, Hegyes co-starred in the Manhattan Theater Club Ensemble's acclaimed drama Naomi Court alongside Brad Davis (Midnight Express, 1978). Following that success, he was cast to co-star with Tony Award-winning actor/director Len Cariou in the Broadway drama Don't Call Back at the Helen Hayes Theater, which also starred Arlene Francis. During this Broadway run, producer James Komack cast him in the award-winning comedy series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975), where, at age twenty-five, he also became one of the show's directors.
Robert guest-starred in over thirty episodic series, including Saturday Night Live (1975) hosted by Quentin Tarantino, Diagnosis Murder (1993) with Dick Van Dyke, and The Drew Carey Show (1995). He starred in the award-nominated "Passat" commercial, "The Chase," directed by Kinka Usher, and appeared in feature films such as Honeymoon Hotel (2004) opposite Jane Kaczmarek, Underground Aces (1981) with Melanie Griffith, Bob Roberts (1992) directed by Tim Robbins, Purpose (2002) starring Mia Farrow, and Bar Hopping (2000) alongside Kevin Nealon.
Hegyes made his Los Angeles stage debut to critical acclaim as Chico Marx in Arthur Marx's play An Evening with Groucho. Shortly after, he became a series regular on the award-winning drama Cagney & Lacey (1981). He has been granted lifetime artist-in-residence status at his alma mater, where he has taught and continues to guest lecture regularly. Additionally, he is a California Certified Secondary Education Teacher and works for the Los Angeles Unified School District at Venice High School.
A long-time resident of Venice, California, Robert and his partner Craig Titley (Cheaper by the Dozen, 2003) developed the original internet series The Venice Walk.
