 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" improvization group "The Committee" in 1963, located at an indoor bocce ball court in San Francisco's North Beach district.