Franklin Cover

Franklin Edward Cover (November 20, 1928 – February 5, 2006) was an American actor best known for his role as Tom Willis in the sitcom The Jeffersons. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Cover graduated from Denison University and received his MA and MFA in Theater from Case Western Reserve University. He began his career on stage, performing in productions such as Henry IV, Part 1 and Hamlet. Cover made his television debut on Naked City and also appeared on The Jackie Gleason Show. In 1965, he married Mary Bradford Stone. Cover's notable role as Tom Willis, a Caucasian man in an interracial marriage, broke new ground on prime-time television.