Larry Hankin

Larry Hankin
Hankin in 2011
Born
Lawrence Alan Hankin

(1937-12-07) December 7, 1937 (age 87)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materSyracuse University
OccupationActor
Years active1963–present
Websitethereallarryhankin.com

Lawrence Alan Hankin (born December 7, 1937)[6] is an American character actor. He has had major film roles as Charley Butts in Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Ace in Running Scared (1986), and Carl Alphonse in Billy Madison (1995). He had smaller roles as Doobby in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Sergeant Larry Balzak in Home Alone, Mr. Heckles in Friends, and Joe in Breaking Bad and El Camino.[7]

Early life

Hankin was born in New York City on December 7, 1937,[1] and grew up in a Jewish family in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens.[8] He graduated from Far Rockaway High School and Syracuse University, where he befriended screenwriter Carl Gottlieb.[9]

Career

Film and television roles

Hankin was an early member of the Second City, training with improvisational theater teachers Viola Spolin and Paul Sills, and in 1963 moved to San Francisco to co-found the improv troupe, The Committee.[10] His first notable supporting role was as Pt. Romero in Viva Max! in 1969.

He had roles in TV shows Breaking Bad, Matlock, and Friends (as Mr. Heckles), as well as a major role in Escape from Alcatraz (1979) with Clint Eastwood.[7] He also acted in How Sweet It Is! (1968) with Debbie Reynolds and James Garner and the Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison (1995). He had cameo appearances in three John Hughes films: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988), and Home Alone (1990), the latter of which coincidentally featured Roberts Blossom (playing Old Man Marley), whom he co-starred with in Escape from Alcatraz. He made a brief appearance in Pretty Woman (1990) as the landlord, and had minor roles in Loose Shoes (1980), as "Handicap" in The Sting II (1983), The Sure Thing (1985), and Running Scared (1986). Hankin also appeared in Married... with Children, as well as one of the Halloween specials of Home Improvement. Hankin also appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager as Gaunt Gary and one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Hankin and Curtis Armstrong played the hippie entrepreneurs who purchased "Buy the Book" (the bookstore where the titular character works at) on Ellen.

On Seinfeld, Hankin portrayed Tom Pepper, the actor cast as Kramer on the pilot-within-a-TV-show Jerry. He portrayed a homeless man in season 5 of Malcolm in the Middle. He then appeared again with Bryan Cranston in seasons three and five of Breaking Bad as junkyard owner Old Joe. He reprised his old role from Breaking Bad in the Netflix sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

In 2022, he won the Best Actor awarded at Casablanca Film Factory Awards for his performance in the movie I Hear the Trees Whispering.[11]

Other work

One of Hankin's earliest roles was playing the lead character of Farley in the 1964 educational film Too Tough to Care.

In 1977, Hankin appeared in the episode "The Bums vs. the Reds" of the situation comedy The San Pedro Beach Bums. He also played Mickey the Bartender in a WKRP in Cincinnati episode called "Hotel Oceanview" that also has a cameo appearance by Dr. Joyce Brothers as "Vicky Von Vicky".

In 1982, he played the dog catcher that tries to take Sandy in Annie.

In 1980, Hankin's short film Solly's Diner earned him and the film's producers a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Hankin was a founding member of the commedia dell'arte improvisation group The Committee in 1963, located at an indoor bocce ball court in San Francisco's North Beach district.

He appeared in the Janet Jackson music video for her 1986 hit single "What Have You Done for Me Lately" as a cook/waiter.

In 2021, he appeared in Friends: The Reunion.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1964 Too Tough To Care Farley
1967 Funnyman Roger
1968 Yours, Mine and Ours Grocery Clerk
1968 How Sweet It Is! 1st Policeman
1969 Viva Max! P.t. Romero
1977 China DeSade Agent Adult film. Credited as Lance Hunt
1979 Escape From Alcatraz Charley Butts
1979 The Jerk Circus Hand Uncredited
1980 Loose Shoes 2nd Veteran
1980 Solly’s Dinner Sometimes Jones Short film. Also Writer and Producer. Academy Award nominee for Best Short Film, Live Action.
1982 Annie Pound Man
1983 The Star Chamber Det. Kenneth Wiggan
1983 The Sting II Handicap
1985 The Sure Thing Trucker
1986 Ratboy Robert Jewell
1986 Running Scared Ace
1986 Armed and Dangerous Kokolovitch
1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Man in Pub
1987 Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Doobby
1988 She's Having a Baby Hank
1990 Home Alone Sgt. Larry Balzak
1990 Pretty Woman The Landlord
1990 Death Warrant Mayerson
1991 Black Magic Woman Hank Watfield
1992 T Bone N Weasel Rev. Gluck Television Film
1994 The Shadow Taxi Driver
1995 Billy Madison Carl Alphonse
1997 Vegas Vacation Preacher
1997 Money Talks Roland
2000 The Independent William Henry Ellis
2003 Nobody Knows Anything! Blind Man
2008 Reach for Me Elliot
2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan The Phantom
2013 Pain & Gain Pastor Randy
2015 The Parting Shot Aaron Short Film. Nominated: LAIFF April Award for best Actor in a lead role.
2019 El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Old Joe
2021 Bengal Hank Short Film.
2021 The Eden Theory Farmer Joe
2021 Friends: The Reunion Himself/Mr. Heckles Television Reunion Special
2022 I Hear the Trees Whispering Dale

Television series

Year Title Role Notes
1966 That Girl Gus Episode: "Rich Little Rich Kid"
1969 The Music Scene Himself/host 7 Episodes
1978 Free Country Unknown 1 Episode
1980 WKRP in Cincinnati Mickey Broadhead Episode: "Hotel Oceanview"
1981 Barney Miller Earl Kelso Episode: "The Psychic"
1982 Family Ties Pickpocket Episode: "No Nukes is Good Nukes"
1985 It's a Living Josep Episode: "Desperate Hours"
1985 Hill Street Blues Earl Schuester Episode: "Of Human Garbage"
1986 Matlock Clayton Hood Episode: "The Ex"
1986 ALF Andrew Seminick, Burglar Episode: "Strangers in the Night"
1986 Joe Bash Stu 2 Episodes
1990 Singer & Sons Homeless Man Episode: "Our's Not to Reason Why Shmy"
1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation Wind Dancer Episode: "Cost of Living"
1993 Seinfeld Tom Pepper[12] Episode: "The Pilot"
1993 Picket Fences Bernie Thompson Episode: "Nuclear Meltdowns"
1994 Married... with Children Mary Episode: "Sofa So Good"
1994 The George Carlin Show Kenny Episode: "George Goes Too Far"
1994–1996 Friends Mr. Heckles 5 Episodes
1995 Star Trek: Voyager Gaunt Gary 3 Episodes
1996 Home Improvement Larry Episode: "I Was A Teenage Teenager"
1996 Ellen Larry Episode: "Give Me Equity or Give Me Death"
1997 Claude's Crib Al Supporting Cast (9 Episodes)
2005 Joan of Arcadia Homeless Man God Episode: "Secret Service"
2006 My Name is Earl Tom Sparks Episode: "Van Hickey"
2010–2012 Breaking Bad Old Joe 2 Episodes
2016 Bad Internet Himself Episode: "Which of The 'Friends' Are You?" Web Series
2018 Barry Stovka Episode: "Chapter Three: Make the Unsafe Choice"
2018 Junk Drawer Magical Adventures Magic Al Episode: "The Magician Audition"
2019 Baskets Mortician Episode: "Common Room Wake"

Music videos

Year Artist Title Role
1986 Janet Jackson "What Have You Done for Me Lately" Cook/Waiter
1992 Reba McEntire "Take It Back" Lawyer

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Larry Hankin Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2023. Born December 7, 1937 in New York, NY.
  2. ^ Michaelson, Herb (January 12, 1964). "The Comedian with a Yo Yo Career". The Oakland Tribune. p. 9-EL. Larry Hankin is 26...
  3. ^ Eichelbaum, Stanley (May 31, 1971). "After Five Years, a Logical Reason to Return". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 23. With his hair much longer, Hankin doesn't look 33.
  4. ^ Carroll, Jerry (April 28, 1996). "Committee of One: Larry Hankin, Co-Founder of '60s Comedy Troupe, Bring Solo Show to S.F.". The San Francisco Examiner. p. Theater 30. Now 58...Hankin is a health food nut...
  5. ^ Smith, Gar (July 11, 2021). "SMITHEREENS: Reflections on Bits & Pieces". The Berkeley Daily Planet. ...Larry Hankin—now silver-haired and 83...
  6. ^ [1][2][3][4][5]
  7. ^ a b Hal Erickson (2016). "Larry Hankin". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  8. ^ "Breaking Bad's Junkyard Dog: Actor Larry Hankin". September 25, 2013.
  9. ^ "Anchor - The easiest way to make a podcast". Anchor. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "Breaking Bad's Junkyard Dog: Actor Larry Hankin". September 25, 2013.
  11. ^ "Casablanca Film Factory Awards: Winners announced". Mathrubhumi. July 3, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Friends Star Who Auditioned For Kramer On Seinfeld". www.looper.com. July 15, 2022.