February 11, 200620 yr Franklin Cover, best known for playing the white neighbor on "The Jeffersons," has died at the age of 77. The actor died of pneumonia on Sunday, Feb. 5 at the Lillian Booth Actor's Fund of America home in Englewood, N.J.As Tom Willis on "The Jeffersons," Cover and black actress Roxie Roker broke barriers by becoming the first interracial married couple on prime-time television. As the "deluxe apartment" neighbors, the Willises were often the comic foils to George and Louise Jefferson. Cover began acting on stage, and his credits include "Born Yesterday," "Any Wednesday," "Hamlet" and "Henry IV." He moved on to TV, where he made numerous appearances on shows such as "The Jackie Gleason Show," "All in the Family," "The Love Boat," "227," "Who's the Boss?," "In the Heat of the Night," "ER," "Mad About You" and "Will & Grace." He also made a few appearances on the big screen in "The Stepford Wives (1975)," "Wall Street" and "Brain Donors." He is survived by his widow, Mary, his son, Bradford and daughter, Susan. R.I.P to 3/5 of the Jeffersons cast
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