‘How to Get Away with Murder”: How Far Will Frank Go for Annalise & Bonnie?

Jim Halterman February 16, 2017, 11:00 pm

[Spoiler Alert: Do not read ahead unless you’ve watched this week’s episode of How To Get Away With Murder. Major plot points discussed below. You’ve been warned!]

Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber) never fails to surprise us on How to Get Away with Murder. Whether we’re finding out more about his past, watching his steely gaze on someone who has crossed him (or someone he cares about) or seeing just how far he’ll go for Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) or Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil), this week’s episode showed us more.

In fact, when Frank (who happens to be in prison after he admitting to killing Wes) fired his lawyer, who knew he could actually do a standup job defending himself, as we saw in this week’s episode.

With so much happening and the third season finale next week, it was good timing to hop on the phone with Weber to get his take on what we saw this week and get some teases in for what’s coming next before we wrap up the season.

How has that been for you to play Frank this season? We’ve gotten so many more layers peeled back in the third year of the show.
It’s been great. It’s been a very lovely and challenging season but I’ve really loved the journey Frank’s been on. It’s been tough at times, but really, really, nice.

I’ve always known that Frank has all these different skills that we don’t know about, but I didn’t know he could be his own lawyer! He does a pretty good job in the courtroom.
Oh, thank you. You know, Frank’s a little smarter than he lets on. We all know he’s very street savvy but he’s a pretty smart guy when he needs to be.

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It was really powerful seeing Frank’s reaction on the phone when he realizes it’s Annalise on the other end of the line. How was that to play even in a scene where Viola isn’t technically across from you?
We just wrapped season three so not only as characters but as actors we have such history with each other that that relationship is there whether the person is or not. It’s always lovely to be across from Viola and I really relish that I get to do that but that relationship is always present so it wasn’t hard to imagine Viola on the other end of that phone.

Is it safe to say that even at this point, everything Frank is doing is for Annalise?
For Annalise and Bonnie, yeah. His plight in life is to protect them.

And his loyalty is not really unwavering, is it? He really will do anything.
He’ll do anything. I think that there’s some mending going on with Annalise at this point and it’s almost a reservation, on her part, to realize that this isn’t going to change. “This guy isn’t going to go away, he’s going to keep protecting me whether I want him to or not.” There’s sort of this recognition that the three of us don’t exist outside of each other. We need the other two. We’re sort of this little trinity that can’t exist on our own. There’s a lot going on with those relationships.

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He’d even take the death penalty for them?
I think he would. I don’t think he wants to because that ultimate sacrifice means that he can no longer protect them and now they’ll have to go down this path without him. He does see the value in this own life and when he turned himself in, I think he can get a little ahead of himself sometimes, but perhaps thought, “This might work out,” but was prepared if it didn’t.

How would you describe Frank’s feelings for Laurel at this point?
I think there’s this lingering thing that two people that were very passionate about each other will always have but it’s very complicated. She has been very clear that she doesn’t want to be with Frank and Frank has accepted that. I think he has a very nurturing side to him so once he’s looked out for you he always does on some level. I think there’s a bit of that in there.

I personally like Frank and Bonnie together, as screwed up as it might be but Ii there any hope for that relationship to actually be a romantic relationship, or is that not even really possible for them?
I think it is possible. I think they’re both, perhaps, a little scared of it in the sense that I don’t think they, individually, could be with anyone else. They’re murderers. They’re people that live life in a different way that no one else. Much like with Frank and Laurel. She couldn’t handle what he was. When he told her, she was out. With Bonnie, we know what the other one and who the other one is. If anything, that deep, deep connection we have, if that becomes romantic I think that it would work. I think they’re just people that can actually be together but we’re so consumed right now with Annalise there’s little time for romance.

Considering Frank isn’t necessarily a good guy, I feel like we still root for him. As the actor were you ever concerned that maybe the audience would turn on him for all that he’s done?
Yeah, I like to think that I’ve always played him with heart and even though it’s very, very misguided, everything he’s ever done has been to protect someone he loves. It’s a good thing if Frank loves you and a bad thing if he doesn’t.

We’ve got the two-hour season finale next week. Any words to describe what the viewer is going to see?
It’s beyond surprising. I had no idea this was coming. There’s no way to know what you’re going to see and there are just enormous spoilers coming your way next week. I can assure you.

How to Get Away with Murder, Thursdays, 10/9c, ABC