In 1975, I was starring in a Broadway play and I went to an audition for this television show. I had never auditioned for a television show. The audition was at the Windsor Hotel in downtown Manhattan. It was for the Executive Producer, Jimmy Komak. I thought it was weird being in someone's hotel room with a bed. I thought, "Oh God, this is the Hollywood casting couch. Where's the girl?"

So, I started reading a monologue for this character they called, Vinnie Barbarino. Since I was doing a Broadway play at the time, I ran from the matinee performance in my Puerto Rican gang costume to the audition. You know, the Puerto Rican flag was on the back of my jacket, and I started reading the monologue. And I got no more than twenty words out of my mouth and Jimmy Komack said, "you got the part." But I kept going. I got another ten words out of my mouth, and he said, "you got the part."

Again, I kept going. And he said, "you got the part. Shut up or you're going to blow it."

And I said, "I memorized the whole damn monologue, and you're going to hear the whole damn monologue."

He laughed and said, "you're my guy."

©2005 Robert Hegyes - All Rights Reserved