Frankie Faison talks legacy in the entertainment industry

Frankie Faison is a legend in the entertainment industry with a nearly fifty-year career. From movies and shows such as Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, One Life to Live, The Wire, White Chicks, True Colors, Luke Cage, Grey’s Anatomy, and so on. I had the opportunity to interview Frankie regarding his latest projects Till, The Rookie: Feds, and The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain. He also gave insight into how he navigated the entertainment industry successfully and the joys of being an actor. 

Cox: Frankie Faison, you are a legend in the industry. I’m excited to discuss your recent Till and Rookie: Fed projects. But before we get into that, I want to know where it all began for Frankie.  
Faison: It all started for me as a little boy in Newport News, Virginia. I grew up entrenched in how ministers held the attention of the audience in the church. They had a way with their sermons that showcased their power of speech. This led me to do church plays, which eventually turned into me doing school plays from elementary to high school.   

Cox: What age were you when you knew that you wanted to be an actor? 
Faison: I knew when I was eight that acting was my calling.   

Cox: What was it about acting at that early age that drew you in?
Faison: It goes back to what made me in awe of the ministers in the church. That power holds the people’s attention through the power of speech, language, and presence. I loved it and the power that came from telling stories.   

Cox: With such a lengthy resume in Hollywood, how was it navigating it during a time when there weren’t as many opportunities for Black actors?
Faison: Unlike most, Hollywood could be more interesting to me. It’s the art of acting, storytelling, and performance that I care about. Hollywood is a byproduct of those things. So, I have stayed in business this long by focusing on the craft rather than being involved and widely active in the “Hollywood scene.”  

Hollywood is a place in this industry we all eventually have to go through. But to attain and maintain the level of success, I need to keep Hollywood at a distance.    

It has both changed and not changed all these years later.   

Cox: You mentioned early on referring to yourself as an actor and not a Black actor. Why is that? 
Faison: You know, Michael, when I started, I referred to myself as a ‘Black actor.’ It was necessary if you wanted to get those Black roles. But I soon realized that to achieve my desired success, I would have to be reviewed as an actor first. A good actor at that. You can look at me and see that I’m Black. That’s obvious, but it doesn’t necessarily tell you I will be a good actor or artist.   

Cox: Regarding networking in the industry and keeping your distance simultaneously. How have you been able to do that and continue working on significant projects?  
Faison: I just focused on producing good work through my characters. I know you hear networking is crucial, and for some, it is. I just never felt this need to network by attending various social events. When people see my work, they can know how I carry myself as an actor in this business. This has led to people wanting to continue to work with me and put me in their projects.   

Sometimes this focus on networking and attending everything comes from the actor’s desperation to get an opportunity. I avoided that desperation by emphasizing things outside the business, like my family, friend relationships, and hobbies.  

Cox: Those outside things are essential, especially for overall mental health. What’s one of your hobbies you can share with me?  
Faison: One of my hobbies and passions is making granola. I really do enjoy it. Whenever I have a down period in the industry, I make granola and give it as a gift to family and friends. I also sell it at my wife’s store in Montclair, New Jersey, where it always sells out.   

Listen, I urge all artists to find a hobby and other things they are good at or want to explore. Otherwise, this business will get you up.   

Cox: Speaking of business, how else did you keep yourself centered when you didn’t get those roles you wanted? 
Faison: If a job was for me, I felt I would get it. And if it wasn’t for me, I felt somebody else would call it, and hopefully, they were worthy. But, you know to do a good job. I’ve never sweated those little things because I’ve stayed in my lane and focused on them.   

Cox: Obviously, we have seen the roles you’ve accepted; what type of roles don’t you accept? 
Faison: Anything with a negative take on it is not for me. When I say negative take, I mean the character exudes something negative and harmful to the community. When the dots aren’t connecting for me, and the role just doesn’t interest me, it doesn’t matter how much money or worthwhile the opportunity is. I won’t take it.   

There must be creditability to whatever story I’m in or the character I play. Stories are part of television, film, and theater, which influence people. As an actor, I have the privilege to bring my talent and who I am to the audience. So, I take all that is in my selection process for what is substantial enough for me to participate in bringing this character to life.   

Cox: There is so much integrity in what you do. What advice would you give an actor, regardless of time in the industry, if they question the virtue of a role opportunity?  
Faison: You want to be able to look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day. You have to ask yourself if you will feel a sense of joy and pride or embarrassment with this opportunity. If you think you may feel embarrassed, like I hope no one sees this, then you have your answer.   

I say this because sometimes people are in a desperate place in life, so I would never judge because I have been fortunate enough not to have been there. But you don’t want to act out in desperation because you don’t want to look down the road ten years from now regretting your choice. Remember, these projects live on forever.   

Cox: Now that you have given me more insight into you as an actor, I want to get into your recent projects. What was it about the Till project that let you know it was right for you?  
Faison: To be honest, Michael, I rejected the role several times. The reason was that I had just finished the project The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain. This project took everything out of me as a human being, a Black man, and a senior citizen. It was an intense film about an ex-Marine who is suffering from PTSD, and it’s based on a true story.   

Once the project was wrapped, I told myself my next project had to be something positive. The directors and producers of Till returned to me a third time and said that I had a sense of responsibility to be part of this film. They told me this film was not dwelling on negativity about the brutality of what happened but rather on the mother’s journey.   

It meant a lot to me to do this when I thought about still so many people who still don’t know the story of Till or the contributions of his mother’s journey that made progress for people. I’m so thankful for all the forces in the universe that allowed me to be part of this film.  

Cox: I loved that you mentioned needing to take a break between projects for your mental sake.  
Faison: Your mental health is a priority regardless of how much success you can attain. You have to be able to function fully in a healthy way. This means you must pay attention, especially as an actor, to how drained you are after a project. Nothing is worth losing your sanity or damaging your well-being. After each task, you have to check in with yourself and evaluate where you are mentally before signing on to move on to the next project.   

You have to pay attention!  

Again, this is why I stress actors have other things to focus on outside this industry.   

Cox: Before you go, I want to discuss your role in Rookie: Feds.   
Faison: This character came to me in the perfect sense. He has this dynamic with his daughter; I have daughters in real life. I love that you see this confrontation between him and Niecy Nash that allows them to grow.   

Also, I love playing a character that has conflict. He has an issue with law enforcement and started a group to defund the police. You always have this battle of viewpoints with his past and Niecy Nash’s current profession as a federal agent. There is this dynamic where you see them learn from each other.  

Cox: Last, I think it’s so powerful to see a Black father on television dealing with his daughter, who is bisexual, in such a positive manner. 
Faison: I love that about his character. You have this modern-day Black father who embraces his daughter and doesn’t push her way based on her sexual orientation. We see this in the Black community and in general throughout the world.  

With my character, you can see that your children need your love and support. You can’t just push them away because you disagree with certain aspects of their life. 

Photography Credit: Antwon Maxwell