Frankie Russel Faison is an American actor who is best known for his roles in HBO`s The Wire (2002-2008) and the Hannibal Lecter franchise. He has appeared in all the film adaptations of Thomas Harris` books on Hannibal Lecter, excluding Hannibal Rising (2007). He appeared as Lt. Fiske in Manhunter (1986) and as Barney the orderly in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Hannibal (2001), and Red Dragon (2002).

Faison began his career with the New York Shakespeare Festival production of King Lear, where he starred alongside James Earl Jones. Over the next few years, he earned a Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway premiere of Fences (1985) and also made his way to the big screen. Since then Faison has appeared in a variety of roles in both film and television. His major credits include Coming To America (1988), Do The Right Thing (1989) and White Chicks (2004). His 2020 releases include horror film The Grudge.