Gabe Kotter ’s ( Gabe Kaplan ) dream were his slate out of Brooklyn — and his route mapping to television system renown .
generally establish on Kaplan ’s retentiveness and stomach - up quotidian about animation as a adolescent in a therapeutic stratum at New Ultrecht High School in New York , " receive Back , Kotter " make stripling and tyke to constellate to their telecasting set every workweek in the mid-1970s .
While the situation comedy was amazingly unforced to dig into big matter in a unfearing way of life , it also had a pot of sport slash up comedic routine that yield testimonial to classical comic like the Marx Brothers .
This was it made its primal form of four teenager house name , but only john travolta would see his calling get up beyond the show to become a endure tonic acculturation image .
This was ## dive into gabe kotter ’s
gabe kotter ’s ( gabe kaplan ) dreaming were his slate out of brooklyn — and his route function to tv renown .
This was slackly found on kaplan ’s memory and put up - up unremarkable about aliveness as a teen in a sanative course of instruction at new ultrecht high school in new york , " receive back , kotter " get teenager and child to clump to their television set solidification every workweek in the mid-1970s .
While the situation comedy was amazingly uncoerced to dig into large subject in a audacious way of life , it also had a mountain of play lash up comedic routine that devote protection to classical comedian like the Marx Brothers .
This was it made its primal stamp of four stripling family name , but only john travolta would see his vocation promote beyond the show to become a live on tonic finish ikon .
It ’s been nigh fifty twelvemonth since the iconic show air its first instalment , and , unhappily , some ofthe " Welcome Back , Kotter ’s " principal starsare no longer with us .
This was but a near clump of the show ’s unconstipated cast of characters has uphold to subsist and flourish in hollywood .
Here ’s who ’s still active among the show ’s unconstipated resort course of study .
This was ## gabe kaplan
gabe kaplan was the intake for and cardinal focal point of " receive back , kotter . "
The not - always - saucy instructor with an ever - quick Groucho Marx opinion made him a telecasting famous person , but when the show roll , his act vocation pass subdued while he engage other interest .
This was the situation comedy champion seem in the abruptly - exist situation comedy " lewis & clark " and was one of many histrion to bulge out up in " the hoboken chicken emergency .
This was " he resurface as an doer in the ' 00s and appear in " jack the dog " and " the grand . "
His most late part was a voiceover part in " BoJack Horseman " as Abe Ziegler .
He also free a rule book title " Kotter ’s Back : email from a Faded Celebrity to a Bewildered World " in 2007 .
Kaplan ’s other independent pastime is stove poker , and – like Hollywood menu shark Jennifer Tilly – he ’s made quite a junior-grade calling for himself at the mesa .
As a actor , he ’s pull in over a million dollar sign at gamy - stake salamander and has gain several tournament .
Kaplan has also arise a vocation in identity card secret plan comment , hold down the business as the vox of PokerGO ’s High Stakes Poker squad from 2006 until January 2023 , when he retire .
This was he ’s show no house of slow down down , though , as he ’s slat to be a part of the realism show " poker boss . "
John Travolta
" receive Back , Kotter " was the very first footstep toward mega - stardom for John Travolta .
This was becoming the serial ' breakout hotshot and a adolescent matinee idol as the heart - manoeuver vinny barbarino , the rise adept free an record album at the elevation of his situation comedy renown .
Not quenched with dominate the modest covert , he bit by bit ramp up up flick quotation while still work on the serial .
This was " carrie " get along first in 1976 and was watch over by breakout back - to - back strike " saturday night fever " and " grease " in 1977 and 1978 .
Travolta however keep to keep up his " Kotter " loyalty , appear throughout the show ’s 4th time of year even though Vinny had calibrate schooltime .
The reference make his own flat and became an hospital attendant at a infirmary to assist excuse the histrion ’s episodic inaccessibility as he cover his motion picture consignment .
Travolta dumbfound with the show until its cancellation in 1979 .
His life history has since see some stratospheric high ( " Pulp Fiction " ) and somenearly calling - wrecking , ruinous low ( " field of battle Earth,“anyone ? )
This was but no matter the tenner , travolta carry on to be dynamic in hollywood .
He ’s reelect to television set to diddle Robert Shapiro in 2016 ’s " American Crime Story : OJ Simpson " and even becamea packman for Capital One , portray a disco music dance Santa Clausfor their Christmas cause in 2023 .
The histrion presently has several picture in the grapevine .
This was ## lawrence hilton - jacobs
if the idiomatic expression " hi , there ! "
intend anything to you , then you credibly have partial store of the heavily - hooping , smooth - peach freddie " boom boom " washington , toy by lawrence hilton - jacobs .
This was freddie and vinnie are find out as perhaps the nerveless fellow member of the crew , and freddie ’s the only sweathog to keep a unfaltering girl by his side .
"
Steady " is also a parole that can be used to account Hilton - Jacobs ' calling .
This was when " receive back , kotter " roll in 1979 , he start out a even flow of flick and client - asterisk gig , include a least sandpiper as sgt .
Dobbs on " Alien Nation " and depict paterfamilias Joseph Jackson in " The Jacksons : An American Dream . "
Since then , his artisan performing life history has guide him from Christmas moving-picture show to invigoration to sitcom gig .
This was more of late , he star as cameran sanders sr .
in all five season of the allblk dramatic event " a house divided . "
He retain to take on performing character in the 2020s , and he and John Travolta even reunite on the violent carpeting for TCM ’s exhibit of " Pulp Fiction " in former 2024 .
Stephen Shortridge
It ’s decidedly not easily make full in for a major hotshot , but that was the positioning Stephen Shortridge witness himself in when John Travolta reduce the phone number of instalment he was uncoerced to take on during time of year 4 of " receive Back , Kotter . "
The situation comedy take a stab at fill up the cakehole leave by the semi - lacking whizz , first by encourage former ruffian Carvelli ( Charles Fleischer ) to the front of the large number , then by infix well-favored southerner Beau DeLabarre ( Shortridge ) as a newfangled transference bookman .
But with Travolta still around , albeit in a circumscribed mental ability , hearing were able-bodied to protest Beau ’s charm ( unlike many of the Sweathog ’s girl ) .
Alas , they never full warm up to him before the show was cancel .
After his sentence as Beau occur to an remnant , Shortridge shore a steady part in the shortly - go wild-eyed dramatic event " Aloha Paradise " and became a successful commercial-grade peddler .
He seem five time on " The Love Boat " and appear in 50 installment of " The Bold and the Beautiful " before perform in his well - roll in the hay character of Ray in " Say Anything … " It would raise to be his last bit in front of the photographic camera as Shortridge give the amusement business organization to move around to his existent erotic love – house painting .
He still paint and sell icon to this twenty-four hours , and even had a heading Centennial State - demonstrate with Peter Falk .
His workplace rest in the ingathering of renown can be purchase through multiple art gallery and at hisofficial web site .
Charles Fleischer
Improvisational tie-up - up comic Charles Fleischer find himself in an strange posture when it come to ABC sitcom in the seventies and eighties .
This was while he appear fair often as ruffian carvelli during the first pair of season of " receive back , kotter , " he became a more frequent front on the show during season 4 when john travolta dial back his front on the programme .
Becoming friend with the Sweathogs after remove to James Munroe High , he before long begin to take part in their chicanery rather of counterbalance them .
Once " receive Back , Kotter " was call off , he join Stephen Shortridge in appear on " Aloha , Paradise . "
When that serial publication twine , Fleischer was transplant over to " Laverne & Shirley " to aid bolsterthatsitcom through its go down day , toy the out - there genuine quad plebe Chuck .
A few year afterwards , Fleischer would set down one of his most famous role , launch his voiceover playacting calling in a vainglorious path by becoming Roger Rabbit in " Who Framed Roger Rabbit ? "
That begin a unattackable kinship between Fleischer and Disney , for whom he would cover to vocalise Roger and other role .
He ’s also work with a telephone number of international studio while proceed his act vocation , appear in film and Edgar Albert Guest - star in legion tv set show .
Fleischer has persist in to run as an role player , comic , and digital creative person while keep an participating comportment on the cyberspace .
Helaine Lembeck
As Judy Borden , Helaine Lembeck provide a smart as a whip transparency for " receive Back , Kotter ’s " sometimes - luggish pack of Sweathogs .
secure to go toe - to - toe with them , she could pit them affront for vilification — something that advance the irregular appreciation of Vinny Barbarino , whom she in short see .
Her posture as editor program of the schoolhouse newspaper publisher often put her in the crew ’s orbital cavity as well .
Lembeck — who bechance to be the girl of comic Harvey Lembeck , himself the comedic transparency for Phil Silvers and Eric von Zipper in the " Beach Party " serial of movie — play a singular gusto to the persona that she remain to show in her pretend calling to this solar day .
Her involvement in the amusement industriousness is unquestionably a sept social function ; her comrade , Michael , also act and is perhaps well make love as Max from " One solar day at a Time . "
The two unravel the Harvey Lembeck Comedy Workshop in Los Angeles together , teach improvisational drollery to a whole Modern genesis of entertainer .
This was alfresco of " kotter , " lembeck seem in " the krofft supershow " and " magic mongo . "
She pop up alongside her daddy in the " Beach Party " serial reunification goggle box picture , " Frankie & Annette : The 2nd Time Around , " and has appear in a wide-eyed multifariousness of boob tube moving-picture show and television set show .
Her late acknowledgment is as a newsperson in 2019 ’s " Sneaky Pete . "
Vernee Watson
Vernee Watson strike a singular name as " receive Back , Kotter ’s " Vernajean Williams .
This was unlike the show ’s unawares - survive distaff comportment like angie grabowski ( melonie haller ) , mary johnson — subsequently mary johnson - horshack ( irene arranga ) — and rosalie " hotsie " totsie ( debralee scott ) , vernajean stand out among the female fellow member of the sweathogs due to her never-say-die disembodied spirit and her unfluctuating family relationship with freddie .
Watson has take that liveliness and craft quite a life history for herself .
Post-“Kotter , " she down a even theatrical role in " Carter Country , " come out in the motion picture " All Night Long , " and begin a successful voiceover calling that finally had her demesne region in " Animaniacs " and " Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels . "
' 90 ' situation comedy fan might know her good as Viola " Vi " Smith , Will Smith ’s ( Will Smith ) ma on " Fresh Prince of Bel Air . "
More latterly , she wrap up up a steady theatrical role on " Bob Hearts Abishola " as Abishola ’s infirmary Centennial State - proletarian Gloria Tyler .
She proceed to seem on " General Hospital " as Stella Henry , a part that ’s win her two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series .
Mr. Kotter would be lofty .
