Frankie Faison

Frankie Russel Faison (born June 10, 1949) is an American actor known for his role as Commissioner Ervin Burrell in the HBO series The Wire, as Barney Matthews in the Hannibal Lecter franchise, and as Sugar Bates in the Cinemax series Banshee.

Early life and education Faison was born in Newport News, Virginia, the son of Carmena (née Gantt) and Edgar Faison. He studied drama at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where he joined Theta Chi fraternity. He went on to obtain a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1974. Frankie has been married to Samantha Jupiter Faison since 2017.

Career

Faison started his acting career in 1974 in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of King Lear, with James Earl Jones in the title role. Faison later appeared opposite Jones in the Broadway premiere of Fences, for which he received a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. Faison's next role came in TV, in the short-lived series Hot Hero Sandwich in 1979. Faison did not make it to the big screen until 1980, when he appeared in Permanent Vacation as "Man in Lobby". A string of small roles followed until 1986, when he played the part of Lt. Fisk in Manhunter. Also that year, he appeared in the comedy The Money Pit, as an unruly construction worker, and in the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. In 1988, he appeared alongside Eddie Murphy and James Earl Jones in Coming to America in the role of a landlord, and won a minor role in the 1989 Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing. Faison also appeared in 1996's The Rich Man's Wife as Detective Ron Lewis. He also appeared in the 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair as Detective Paretti. Faison is notable for being the most frequent actor to appear in adaptations of Thomas Harris' Hannibal books: along with Manhunter, he also appeared as Lecter's jailer Barney in The Silence of the Lambs, the sequel Hannibal, and the prequel Red Dragon.

During the 1990–1991 season, he starred in the Fox situation comedy True Colors with Stephanie Faracy and Nancy Walker about an interracial couple. He was replaced by Cleavon Little for the second season of the program. In 1991, Faison again appeared alongside Hopkins in the film Freejack, which also starred Mick Jagger and Maximum Overdrive co-star Emilio Estevez. In 1998, he was a regular on the science-fiction TV show Prey. In 1992, he played the patriarch Bailey in the Cheryl West play Before It Hits Home. In the 2003 film Gods and Generals, Faison played the role of Jim Lewis, a freed slave, who shares his religious faith and optimism with CSA General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson as the general's personal cook. In 2004, he starred as JoJo Anderson in The Cookout and appeared in White Chicks. Faison had a starring role as the Baltimore City Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell on the HBO drama The Wire.

Faison appeared in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, a movie about a single mom who takes her family to Georgia for the funeral of her father—a man she never met. There, her clan is introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family. Faison played the role of Brown and Vera's brother, L.B. Brown. In 2009, he was in the ensemble cast of John Krasinski's adaptation of Brief Interviews With Hideous Men playing the son of a toilet attendant who caustically recounts his father's experiences in one of the titular monologues.

Faison played Richard Evans on One Life to Live from 2009 through 2012.

He appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods, which also stars Tom Selleck, as an assistant police commissioner. His main film role in this period was as Harlan in the film Adam. He also appeared in a third-season episode of Lie to Me.

Faison played the role of Sugar Bates, a prizefighter turned tavernkeeper, on the Cinemax program Banshee. He appeared as Henry "Pop" Hunter in the Netflix series Luke Cage, and played a supporting role in the 2016 Amazon Studios original special An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win.

In 2017, Faison appeared in the music video for "Holding On" by The War on Drugs, from their fourth album A Deeper Understanding.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1980 Permanent Vacation Man in Lobby 1981 Ragtime Gang Member No. 1 1982 Cat People Detective Brandt A Little Sex Electrician Hanky Panky Cop Driver 1984 C.H.U.D. Sergeant Parker Exterminator 2 Be Gee 1986 The Money Pit James Maximum Overdrive Handy Manhunter Lieutenant Fisk 1988 Coming to America Mr. Townsend Mississippi Burning Eulogist 1989 Do the Right Thing Coconut Sid 1990 Betsy's Wedding Zack Monroe 1991 The Silence of the Lambs Barney Matthews City of Hope Levonne 1992 Freejack Eagle Man 1993 Sommersby Joseph Money for Nothing Madigan 1994 Heading Home Horace Jones I Love Trouble Police Chief 1995 Roommates Professor Martin 1996 The Stupids The Lloyd Mother Night Robert Sterling Wilson Albino Alligator Agent Marv Rose The Rich Man's Wife Detective Ron Lewis 1997 Julian Po Sheriff Leon 1998 Jaded Henry Broker 1999 The Thomas Crown Affair Detective Paretti A Little Inside Tom Donner Oxygen Phil Kline Orson Welles Sells His Soul to the Devil Carter Short subject 2000 Where the Money Is Security Guard 2001 Gina, an Actress, Age 29 Albert Short subject The Sleepy Time Gal Jimmy Dupree Hannibal Barney Matthews Down to Earth Whitney Daniels Thirteen Conversations About One Thing Richard 'Dick' Lacey 2002 Showtime Captain Winship Red Dragon Barney Matthews 2003 Gods and Generals Jim Lewis 2004 Highwaymen Will Macklin America Brown Coach Bryant White Chicks Chief Elliott Gordon Messengers Tom Mabry The Cookout Jojo Andersen Crutch Jerry In Good Company Corwin 2006 Premium Phil 2007 My Blueberry Nights Travis 2008 Meet the Browns L.B. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Ticket Salesman 2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Subject #42 Adam Harlan Splinterheads Pope Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Rhamus Twobellies For Sale by Owner Gene Woodman Breaking Point Judge Green 2011 Mayor Cupcake Lenny Davis The Cookout 2 Jojo Anderson 2012 Cowgirls 'n Angels Augustus 2013 Tio Papi Gilly Danger Word Grandpa Joe Short subject 2014 Clipped Wings, They Do Fly Mayor Goode Assumption of Risk Dr. Paulson Away from Here Carl 2016 An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win Frank Ellison Smoke Filled Lungs Stanley 2017 The Case for Christ Joe Dubois The Sounding Roland 2018 An Actor Prepares Deacon Frank Dodge 2019 The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. 2020 The Grudge William Matheson I'm Your Woman Art 2021FatherhoodMike2022Till John Carthan TBA Untitled Stephen Merchant film TBA Filming

Television