Thomas Andrew Franco (born April 14, 1980) is an American actor,[1] artist, and the founder of the Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley, California.

His mother, Betsy Lou (née Verne), is a writer and occasional actress.

[citation needed] His father, Douglas Eugene Franco (died 2011), ran a Silicon Valley business,[4][5] and was a "philanthropic entrepreneur".

[7] Franco's mother is from a family of Russian Jewish ancestry; her parents had changed the surname from "Verovitz" to "Verne.

[6] Franco started acting professionally with his role as Frog Boy in the comedy horror film Basket Case 2 (1990).