Gabe Kaplan

Having struck a chord with audiences with his stand-up comedy, Gabe Kaplan used his stage routine as inspiration for the wildly popular series "Welcome Back, Kotter" (ABC, 1975-79). A ratings hit and cultural landmark for most of its four-year run, the sitcom - which centered on his wisecracking high school teacher who contends with an unruly bunch of underachievers nicknamed Sweathogs - turned Kaplan into a household name. While most other performers would have looked for ways to exploit their success, Kaplan appeared content with shying away from the limelight to focus instead on ventures outside Hollywood, namely financial investments and tournament poker. He did star in several features like "Fast Break" (1979), "Nobody's Perfekt" (1981) and "Tulips" (1981), and even starred in another, albeit short-lived sitcom, "Lewis & Clark" (NBC, 1981-82). But Kaplan was that rare celebrity who sought neither fame nor recognition. In fact, he delved head-first into the poker world long before it became popular in the 2000s, winning a number of competitions and even becoming a host for televised events. Meanwhile, Kaplan turned another lifelong obsession, Groucho Marx, into a popular one-man stage show, "Groucho: A Life in Review," which he routinely performed throughout the decades. Regardless of his aversion to being a celebrity, Kaplan remained a notable figure whose brief foray into popular culture made a lasting impact.