Lawrence Alan Hankin (born December 7, 1937) 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 (1987), Sergeant Larry Balzak in Home Alone (1990), Mr. Heckles in Friends, and Joe in Breaking Bad and El Camino.
Early life Hankin was born in New York City on December 7, 1937, and grew up in a Jewish family in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens. He graduated from Far Rockaway High School and Syracuse University, where he befriended screenwriter Carl Gottlieb.
Career
Film and television 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. His first notable supporting role was as Pt. Romero in Viva Max! in 1969.
Hankin 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. 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 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 appeared in Married... with Children, as well as one of the Halloween specials of Home Improvement. Hankin 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.
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 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 Running Scared Ace Armed and Dangerous Kokolovitch1987 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 Pretty Woman The Landlord 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 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. The Eden Theory Farmer Joe 2022 I Hear the Trees Whispering Dale
Television 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 1978 Laverne & Shirley Biff Episode: "The Bully Show" 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 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 Taylor" 1996 Ellen Larry Episode: "Give Me Equity or Give Me Death" 1997 Claude's Crib Al Supporting Cast (9 Episodes)2001 Walker, Texas Ranger Doc Episode: "Unsafe Speed" 2003 Malcolm in the Middle Luther Episode: "Christmas Trees"2005 Joan of Arcadia Homeless Man God Episode: "Secret Service"2006My Name Is EarlTom SparksEpisode: "Van Hickey"2007-2012CSI:Crime Scene InvestigationZapata Childs; Old Stoner DudeEpisode: “Dead Doll”; “Wild Flowers” 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"2021Friends: The ReunionHimself/Mr. HecklesTelevision Reunion Special 2026 Liam and Michael Presents: Cohan and Danny Ben’s Grandfather 1 episode 2026 Liam and Michael Ben’s Grandfather 2 episodes
Music videos Year Artist Title Role 1986Janet Jackson "What Have You Done for Me Lately" Cook/Waiter 1992Reba McEntire "Take It Back" Lawyer
See also The Lovin' Spoonful's drug bust
References
External links
YouTube page