Larry A . Hankin Larry A . Hankin is the actor who played Gaunt Gary in the episodes , , and . He previously portrayed the wind dancer in the fifth season episode in . For his TNG part Hankin received no credit and was identified by the call sheet for the episode . He was not part of the principal photography for this episode and filmed his scene on second unit on Friday during the production of the episode . For " The Cloud " he filmed his scenes on Tuesday , for " Jetrel " on Wednesday , and for " Twisted " between Monday and Friday on Paramount Stage 16 . Hankin was born in New York City . He studied acting at Syracuse University in Syracuse , New York , where he was in the same class as guest star Frank Langella . Along with fellow VOY guest star Hamilton Camp , Hankin was a founding member of The Committee , a San Francisco - based improvisational comedy group . He was also a member of the improv comedy troupe , The Second City . Career . Hankin has been acting in television and film since the late 1960s . Outside of " Star Trek " , he is perhaps best known for his role as Charley Butts in the 1979 Paramount Pictures film " Escape from Alcatraz " ( composed by Jerry Fielding ) and for his recurring role as Mr . Heckles on NBC ' s television comedy series " Friends " . In one " Friends " episode – " The One Where Mr . Heckles Dies " – Hankin co - starred with TNG guest actor Michael G . Hagerty . In addition to his recurring role on " Friends " , Hankin is well - remembered for his appearance on the comedy series " Seinfeld " , playing an actor who played Kramer in the fourth season episode , " The Pilot " ( 1993 ) . In addition to series regular Jason Alexander , this episode featured Tony Amendola , Erick Avari , Lanei Chapman , Peter Crombie , Elizabeth Dennehy , Bill Erwin , Teri Hatcher , Gina Hecht , and Heidi Swedberg . Television . Hankin has made guest appearances on such situation comedy series as " Laverne & Shirley " ( starring David L . Lander and Michael McKean ) , " WKRP in Cincinnati " , " Eight Is Enough " , " Family Ties " , " Newhart " , " ALF " , " Married with Children " , " Home Improvement " , " My Name Is Earl " , and " The Sarah Silverman Program " . In the 1981 episode of the " Barney Miller " entitled " The Psychic " , Hankin shared the screen with two other VOY guest stars , Ron Glass and Kenneth Tigar . Later , Hankin worked with DS9 guest actor Kenneth Mars on episodes of the comedy series " Weird Science " and " Malcolm in the Middle " ( the latter with Jonathan Schmock , Mark L . Taylor , and Tom Towles ) ; Hankin and Mars had previously worked together in the 1969 film , " Viva Max " . Hankin has guest - starred on a number of dramatic series . In 1977 , he was seen in two episodes of the CBS drama series " Lou Grant " : " Cophouse " , with James Whitmore , Jr . and Jason Wingreen ; and " Psych - Out " , directed by Alexander Singer and featuring Phillip Richard Allen , Bill Quinn , Harry Townes , and Michael Zaslow . In 1985 , Hankin appeared on " Hill Street Blues " , the NBC police drama which , at the time , starred Barbara Bosson and James B . Sikking . That same year , Hankin co - starred with Michael Ansara in a two - part episode of NBC ' s police action series " Hunter " . He later made guest appearances on such series as " Matlock " ( with Barry Jenner ) , " L . A . Law " ( with Corbin Bernsen , Earl Boen , Larry Drake , Michael Ensign , Bennet Guillory , Aaron Lustig , and Robert Picardo ) , " Picket Fences " ( with Ray Walston ) , " Lois & Clark : The New Adventures of Superman " ( starring K Callan and Teri Hatcher ) , " ER " ( with Jeff Kober ) , and " CSI : Crime Scene Investigation " ( with Zach Grenier and series regular Wallace Langham ) . He also recurred on the drama series " Joan of Arcadia " , playing " Homeless Man God " and working with Patrick Fabian , April Grace , Mike Starr , Becky Wahlstrom , and Michael Welch . Films . His many feature film credits , in addition to those mentioned above , include " Yours , Mine & Ours " ( 1968 ) , " The Phynx " ( 1970 , with Michael Ansara and Lou Antonio ) , " American Hot Wax " ( 1978 , with Hamilton Camp ) , " Annie " ( 1982 ) , " The Star Chamber " ( 1983 , with Robin Gammell , Michael Ensign , and James B . Sikking ) , " Running Scared " ( 1986 ) , " Fatal Beauty " ( starring Whoopi Goldberg , Michael Champion , Brad Dourif , and Harris Yulin ) , and " Pretty Woman " ( 1990 , with Jason Alexander , Norman Large , and Dey Young ) . He also appeared in three films for writer / director : " Planes , Trains & Automobiles " ( co - starring Bill Erwin , Richard Herd , Michael McKean , and William Windom ) , " She ' s Having a Baby " ( 1988 , also featuring Bill Erwin and William Windom , as well as Kirstie Alley and Wil Wheaton ) , and " Home Alone " ( 1990 , again with Bill Erwin ) . Some of Hankin ' s more recent film acting credits include " The Shadow " ( 1994 , co - starring Ethan Phillips ) , " It ' s Pat " ( 1994 , starring Charles Rocket ) , " Vegas Vacation " ( 1997 , with Miriam Flynn and Wallace Shawn ) , " Nobody Knows Anything ! " ( 2003 , co - starring Paul Dooley , Charles Esten , Ed Lauter , Virginia Madsen , and Scott Thompson ) , and " Nobel Son " ( 2007 , with Tracey Walter and Matt Winston ) . He also had major roles in the 1995 comedy " Billy Madison " and in the 1997 action comedy " Money Talks " . The latter film co - starred Daniel Roebuck , Paul Sorvino , and David Warner . " Solly ' s Diner " . In 1979 , Hankin wrote , directed , produced , co - edited , and starred in the short film " Solly ' s Diner " . This film was nominated for the 1979 Academy Award for Best Short Film , Live Action ; as a producer , Hankin shared the nomination . One of the actors Hankin cast in " Solly ' s Diner " was fellow " Voyager " guest actor Paul Willson . Hankin and Willson have since worked together , as actors , on the 1980 television movie " Gridlock " ( co - starring James Gregory , Charles Napier , and Vic Tayback ) and the 1983 film " The Sting II " ( starring Teri Garr and Bert Remsen ) . The two most recently appeared together in a 1998 episode of " Party of Five " .