<Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1974--present </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Children </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Frankie Russel Faison (born June 10, 1949), often credited as Frankie R. Faison, is an American actor known for his role as Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell in the HBO series The Wire and as Barney Matthews in the Hannibal Lecter franchise . </P> <P> 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 also attended NYU's Graduate Acting Program, graduating in 1974 . </P>

Who played barney in silence of the lambs