When John Travolta made his debut on “Welcome Back Kotter” 50 years ago, he was a relatively unknown actor with few acting credits under his belt. That all changed when the then-21-year-old scored the role as high school student Vinnie Barbarino on the ABC sitcom in 1975—although it took a few weeks before he was a bona fide TV heartthrob.
In an Aug. 2025 interview with Remind magazine, “Welcome Back Kotter” star Gabe Kaplan revealed that he played a funny trick on Travolta early on.
“After the first episode, I falsely told John Travolta he had a lot of fan mail in the office,” Kaplan, 81, recalled. “The office wasn’t close to the rehearsal hall, but he trudged over and asked for his letters. He came back disappointed and empty-handed. Everyone laughed a little and he said, ‘Very funny.’ A few weeks later he got a whole canvas sack of fan mail.”
“Welcome Back, Kotter” aired for four seasons on ABC, from 1975 to 1979. Co-created by and starring Kaplan as remedial high school teacher, Gabe Kotter, the cast included Travolta as smooth talker Barbarino, as well as fellow “Sweathogs” Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington), Robert Hegyes (Juan Epstein), and Ron Palillo(Arnold Horshack).
John Travolta Once Thanked Gabe Kaplan for Launching His Career
Soon after “Welcome Back Kotter” made its debut in September 1975, Travolta’s career began to skyrocket. He went on to star in blockbuster films such as “Carrie,” “Saturday Night Fever,” and “Grease” in the late 1970s.
Years later, he credited Kaplan for paving the way for his career with the breakthrough role on ‘Welcome Back Kotter.” At the TV Land Awards in 2011, Travolta became emotional when thanking Kaplan for helping to launch his career as a Hollywood star.
“I have been waiting so long to tell Gabe this,” Travolta said, per the Ocala Star Banner. “Thank you for creating this show and putting us all on the map. You’re a genius. You are a gentleman. And I love you, and I know we all love you.”
The Surviving ‘Welcome Back Kotter’ Cast Members Are Still in Touch
Getty ImagesMany of the cast members from “Welcome Back Kotter” are no longer living. In addition to Hegyes and Palillo, supporting cast members John Sylvester White and Marcia Strassmann have also died.
Kaplan told Remind magazine that he still sees Jacobs and Travolta on occasion.
“Larry, John, and I had a lot of fun together doing the show. I’ve seen Larry frequently over the years and have seen John at reunion events,” he shared, noting that he and Travolta “didn’t miss a beat” when they most recently spoke.
“We had a great time reminiscing,” the “Welcome Back Kotter” star shared.
