Question: who played juan epstein in welcome back kotter
Answer: Robert Hegyes ( pronounced Hedges ; May 7 , 1951 -- January 26 , 2012 ) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of high school student Juan Epstein on the 1970s American sitcom Welcome Back , Kotter and as detective Manny Esposito on the 1980s American crime drama Cagney & Lacey .