EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: 'Banshee' Season 3 Star Frankie Faison Talks Sugar Bates' Role In 2015, His Character's Boxing Past & More About Upcoming Episodes On Cinemax!

Frankie Faison's character on Cinemax's hit series, Banshee, is definitely a "words of wisdom" type of guy, but with a criminal mindset. Sugar Bates is the knowledgeable ally that Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) needs in his corner, even when performing crimes, getting into fistfights and worse. So what can we expect from Sugar and the rest of the gang in the remaining 2015 season 3 episodes?

In our exclusive new interview with the seasoned actor, Faison revealed some great details on upcoming episodes including a possible glimpse into Sugar's boxing past! Plus, we also asked Faison about another series that he has ties to, and whether or not he'd want to visit Dr. Lecter again!

Also check out our exclusive interview with series star Trieste Kelly Dunn right here! 

How would you describe season 3 of Banshee?

In general, actually, it's going to be a very fast-paced, I know you've seen fast-paced, but even more fast-paced. I think it's going to be a lot more interesting. I lot of new characters are going to be introduced and we're traveling into a world that we haven't seen before, which is good because that's what you want to see- something new and different- when you have a series. So I think it's going to be very fast-paced and a lot of questions are going to be asked about the roles and paths that people are taking. These lead to a very dark and dangerous place for a lot of the characters on the show. So I think that's what the audience can look forward to seeing in this season coming up.

I think the way that the characters have grown and evolved, the way that they move throughout the season, I think the audience is going to find that very interesting. I think it's a very relationship oriented season in a way, because all the main characters, they're sort of getting involved into a different aspect of their lives and I think that the audience will be really connected and involved in seeing what the exploration of those things are about. So without saying too much, I think that that relationships- the relationship of Lucas Hood, the relationships that he pursues and also the relationships with Carrie's character, where she's going, and even, the child, even Carrie's daughter, that's another thing you're going to try to figure out, where are these relationships going. And I think that's going to be the key to this season because they're all going some pretty strange places. You'll be shaking your head like "what?"

Also check out our exclusive interview with series star Hoon Lee right here!

For Sugar specifically, I feel like there's such a wealth of backstory that can be explored, especially with his history of boxing. Will that come up at all?

Yeah, that will come up and you will get a much deeper understanding of what that was about and how Sugar got to the place that you now see him in, and what he was like. It's going to be more in the storytelling that you're going to learn a lot more specific stuff about Sugar. I think that's, to me, that was very interesting to do and to have because I think that that story is very important to know.

Who would you like to play the younger version of Sugar?

That's a very good question. There's a young actor, he's an unknown, his name is Brandon Scott. You don't know him, but he's played my son in a few things and he would be a "dream casting" for me because he comes from a similar background. His training is very similar; he has the same sense of energy and sensibility. I think that's very important to see in youth of age because you don't become, when you're young, and when you're old you get to become more of who you actually are, so those kinds of characteristics and qualities have to be seen and known in a younger person in order to see how he got to the place he is now.

What do you think of the fan appreciation of the show?

I have been overwhelmed and amazed by the fan appreciation of the show. It's a cross section of people; I have fans who have been drawn to more of the artistic things that I've done, I have fans who have been drawn to the more comedic style, but I have found with this show, the fan base is pretty evenly divided. People that I didn't expect would really like the show have come up to me and said, "I can't wait to see the next episode, I'm really hooked on the show, I really love the show." Because I think the fans really appreciate the show for what it is and like I said, to me it's really moving and I can't go out a day in the street without someone saying "When are you going to bring Banshee back, we need it, it's been gone too long." I think that that's great and I think that we share in giving to the fans as much as the fans are giving to us because I think the cast has been very generous with their time and to keep up with tweeting and all that and let them know what we're all about.

Looking back at your career, you were in four of the Hannibal Lector movies. Are you familiar with the series on NBC, Hannibal?

I am. I've only seen a couple episodes of it, but yeah.

Would you ever be interested in appearing on the series?

Oh absolutely, that would be completing the cycle. That should happen at some point, it really should. This character "Barney" has been such an intricate part of all of it and I have been the only person who has actually been involved in all four of the films. And to do the television series would be just a little foreshadowing or forewarning, but I think it would be interesting. That would be great. Because I feel quite a dependency to that series, and that something that wasn't planned, it's just something that evolved, it just came out, and I feel very blessed and very fortunate to have been a part of all those. It would be great to just say he was there as well in the TV show. I would be very happy about that.

The fans of the series would definitely love to see you there.

I think so too. Because people who follow Hannibal, just like fans of Banshee, there's the same kind of loyalty- the same kind of expectations that are there. I think they would embrace that, they would also know and acknowledge, like "we know that guy, he should be here." So absolutely, I'm all for that.

Do you have any upcoming projects or current projects you're working on that will be coming out soon?

Well, I've done some episodes of The Good Wife, Black Box ... stuff that's in New York, because I don't want to venture away too far from home. Of course I do a lot more social stuff and I was going to do a play in New York, but that fell through. I also did a little independent film, called Liv, which I'm not sure when it will be coming out, but I've been really busy. Very, very busy. So I feel great and look forward to working on Banshee again because we've got a lot of unfinished business there.