'Welcome Back, Kotter' Sweathog Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs gives a lesson in acting at Hempstead High
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, star of "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "Cooley High," addresses students at Hempstead High School in Hempstead on Friday. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
For Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, one of the original Sweathogs from the 1970s TV show "Welcome Back, Kotter," Hempstead High School was a familiar setting.
Raised in Manhattan and the star of such films as "Cooley High," Hilton-Jacobs was welcomed at Hempstead High Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of the television show that featured John Travolta and Hilton-Jacobs as part of a ragtag group of students in a Brooklyn classroom with their teacher, Gabe Kaplan.
Hilton-Jacobs, 71, who played Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington, is in New York this week, where his work is being honored, and wanted to meet with high school students about his experience.
"It’s déjà vu a little bit," Hilton-Jacobs told Newsday. "I don't base it so much on playing the character. I just base it on life. I grew up in the housing projects. I went through the different dances you have to do to make yourself get to the next level."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored Hilton-Jacobs on Thursday at a charter school in Brooklyn and he was invited to speak Friday by the Hempstead School District about being a child actor and pursuing your dreams.
Students were given an introduction to Hilton-Jacobs' career, which included roles in the groundbreaking mini series about slavery, "Roots," and the portrayal of Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family in the 1992 film "The Jacksons."
"It's not every day we get to welcome a true icon, someone whose work has helped shape millions," Hempstead school board President Victor Pratt told students. "You may not know him, but your parents and your grandparents do."
Hilton-Jacobs was a breakout Black actor in the ‘70s when representation of African American actors and young men were not as widely seen as today, Pratt said.
"He represented what I was. He was the first actor that I saw that I could relate to," Pratt said.
Hilton-Jacobs told students that hard work, determination and believing in themselves were keys to success, whether in acting or whatever career they choose in life.
"You find your confidence in the action of doing something. But we need direction," Hilton-Jacobs said. "The direction starts with my parents, or people who are parental to us, our personal belief in ourselves, which is sprung out of your imagination or your nerve. But you’ve got to have that."
He took questions from students about what keeps him motivated and what were his favorite roles of his career. Hilton-Jacobs said the "Kotter" series was the most fun he’s had acting, but he’s learned from embracing his career and bumps in the road.
"Sometimes life happens and you get a setback, but you have to learn from this ... to dwell on it too long, it doesn't help you," Hilton-Jacobs said. "Try to find the variables and move on. Really, it's about moving forward."
For Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, one of the original Sweathogs from the 1970s TV show "Welcome Back, Kotter," Hempstead High School was a familiar setting.
Raised in Manhattan and the star of such films as "Cooley High," Hilton-Jacobs was welcomed at Hempstead High Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of the television show that featured John Travolta and Hilton-Jacobs as part of a ragtag group of students in a Brooklyn classroom with their teacher, Gabe Kaplan.
Hilton-Jacobs, 71, who played Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington, is in New York this week, where his work is being honored, and wanted to meet with high school students about his experience.
"It’s déjà vu a little bit," Hilton-Jacobs told Newsday. "I don't base it so much on playing the character. I just base it on life. I grew up in the housing projects. I went through the different dances you have to do to make yourself get to the next level."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored Hilton-Jacobs on Thursday at a charter school in Brooklyn and he was invited to speak Friday by the Hempstead School District about being a child actor and pursuing your dreams.
Students were given an introduction to Hilton-Jacobs' career, which included roles in the groundbreaking mini series about slavery, "Roots," and the portrayal of Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family in the 1992 film "The Jacksons."
"It's not every day we get to welcome a true icon, someone whose work has helped shape millions," Hempstead school board President Victor Pratt told students. "You may not know him, but your parents and your grandparents do."
Hilton-Jacobs was a breakout Black actor in the ‘70s when representation of African American actors and young men were not as widely seen as today, Pratt said.
"He represented what I was. He was the first actor that I saw that I could relate to," Pratt said.
Hilton-Jacobs told students that hard work, determination and believing in themselves were keys to success, whether in acting or whatever career they choose in life.
"You find your confidence in the action of doing something. But we need direction," Hilton-Jacobs said. "The direction starts with my parents, or people who are parental to us, our personal belief in ourselves, which is sprung out of your imagination or your nerve. But you’ve got to have that."
He took questions from students about what keeps him motivated and what were his favorite roles of his career. Hilton-Jacobs said the "Kotter" series was the most fun he’s had acting, but he’s learned from embracing his career and bumps in the road.
"Sometimes life happens and you get a setback, but you have to learn from this ... to dwell on it too long, it doesn't help you," Hilton-Jacobs said. "Try to find the variables and move on. Really, it's about moving forward."
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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