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Tommy Lister Jr.
Lister in 2018
Born	Thomas Duane Lister Jr. (1958-06-24)June 24, 1958 Compton, California, U.S.
Died	December 10, 2020(2020-12-10) (aged 62) Marina del Rey, California, U.S.
Other names	Tiny, Tom, Deebo
Occupation(s)	Actor, professional wrestler
Years active	1984–2020
Spouse	Felicia Forbes ​(m. 2003)​
Children	1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Zeus Z-Gangsta
Billed height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Billed weight	300 lb (136 kg)
Billed from	Parts unknown
Debut	April 25, 1989
Retired	March 24, 1996

Tommy Debo "Tiny" Lister Jr. (born Thomas Duane Lister Jr.; June 24, 1958 – December 10, 2020) was an American character actor and occasional professional wrestler known for his roles as the neighborhood bully Deebo in the 1995 film Friday and its 2000 sequel, and as President Lindberg in The Fifth Element. He had two short professional wrestling stints, with Hulk Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) after appearing as Zeus in the 1989 film No Holds Barred and resuming the feud as Z-Gangsta in 1996 for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He was born with a detached and deformed retina and was blind in his right eye, which drooped, a unique look that he turned to his advantage in film. He played in both comedies and dramas, usually cast as 'the heavy/big bully'.

Early life

Lister was born on June 24, 1958, in Compton, California, to Thomas Duane Lister and Mildred (Edwards) Lister. Since his birth, he had a deformed and detached retina in his right eye, causing permanent blindness.

Lister attended Palomar Junior College before transferring to Long Beach City College for his sophomore year. While at Long Beach, he recorded a 52 ft (16 m) shot put throw, which helped to earn him a scholarship to California State University, Los Angeles. In his senior year, he won the national shot put title with a mark of over 61 ft 8 in (18.8 m). Lister was the 1982 NCAA Division II National Shot Put Champion.

After college, Lister competed for the Converse Track Club, eventually raising his shot put mark to 64 ft 3 in (19.58 m), before trying out with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League. He was cut after two exhibition games and opted to pursue acting instead.

Acting career

Lister was mostly recognized as the antagonist known as Deebo from 1995's Friday. Deebo was the neighborhood's dog-eat-dog thug and bruiser to every character, including Ice Cube's main character Craig Jones. He reprised the role in the film's sequel, Next Friday (2000), but did not appear in the third film of the series, Friday After Next (2002). He did, however, appear in Cube's directorial debut The Players Club. He played the role of Obodo in Mario Van Peebles' Posse (1993), along with Tone Loc.

Lister had numerous guest appearances on TV series, including playing Klaang, the first Klingon to make contact with humans, in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. He co-starred in a two-part episode of the courtroom series Matlock as Mr. Matlock's in-prison bodyguard. He appeared in season 7 episode 9 of In the Heat of the Night, and in season 1 episode 15 of ER. He also starred in the sitcom 1st & Ten as Otis.

Lister's film roles included playing in The Dark Knight and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Lister was featured in The Fifth Element as the Galactic President. He appeared in the Adam Sandler film Little Nicky as Nicky's older brother Cassius.

Lister was the main police officer in Chamillionaire's "Ridin'" video and reprised his role as a police officer in Chamillionaire's 2012 single "Show Love". He has appeared in the Ice Cube videos for "Friday" (from the Friday soundtrack) and "You Can Do It" (from the Next Friday soundtrack). Lister appeared via both original footage and clips from the film. He was in the videos for Young Bleed's "How You Do Dat", French Montana's "I Told 'Em" and 50 Cent's "Many Men (Wish Death)". Lister portrayed Sancho in the Sublime music video "Santeria".

In the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown, he played bail agent Winston, who "finds people who don't want to be found". In 2015, Lister filmed Busy Day in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lister had a supporting role in the 2016 Disney animated movie Zootopia as the voice of the diminutive fennec fox, Finnick. He appeared in a commercial that year for Ball Park-brand beef jerky, advertised as "tough, but tender."

In the 40 years of his acting career, Lister accumulated more than 200 acting credits.

Cast as an habitual 'bad guy' in films, his career prospered. He was a frequent collaborator with Ice Cube. Lister later became the spokesperson for Monster Energy Drink in the 2010s.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Federation (1989–1990)

Lister appeared in the 1989 wrestling movie No Holds Barred, which was financed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and starred Hulk Hogan. Lister's role was Zeus, a brutal monster heel. No Holds Barred inspired a feud in the WWF during the latter half of 1989. Lister was billed as "Zeus: The Human Wrecking Machine", and used the same "monster heel" gimmick in his matches by no-selling his opponent's moves. He would yell, "Aw! Aw!" and pound on his chest several times during his interviews and in the ring. Zeus would eventually demand Hogan to face him in the ring.

Citing jealousy for being billed under Hogan and anger over losing to Hogan in the film, Zeus wanted to beat him in "real life". Zeus formed an alliance with fellow Hogan rival "Macho Man" Randy Savage to feud with Hogan and his friend, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. The two teams faced off at the 1989 SummerSlam event in a tag team match which saw Hogan and Beefcake prevail as the victors, with Hogan pinning Zeus. Following SummerSlam, Zeus formed an alliance with "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase leading into that year's Survivor Series.

At the event, the team of The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Demolition) faced The Million Dollar Team (Ted DiBiase, Zeus, and The Powers of Pain). Zeus was eliminated from the match via disqualification after refusing to break a chokehold on Hogan and shoving the referee away. The Hulkamaniacs went on to win the match, defeating the other team. After the Survivor Series, the feud between Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake versus Randy Savage and Zeus ended with a steel cage match on December 27, 1989, at the No Holds Barred pay-per-view event. Hogan and Beefcake were once again victorious in what would be Zeus's last match in the WWF. Lister's final WWF appearance was a promotional spot for the 1990 Royal Rumble.

World Wrestling Council (1990)

On July 7, 1990, Zeus fought Abdullah the Butcher in a double countout at a World Wrestling Council show in Puerto Rico.

World Championship Wrestling (1996)

Lister spent March 1996 in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Z-Gangsta, as part of The Alliance to End Hulkamania, culminating in failure at Uncensored. He debuted the previous week with fellow actor/wrestler Robert Swenson, who was billed as The Ultimate Solution.

Legacy and awards

U.S. national shot put title with a mark of over 61 ft 8 in (18.8 m) and 1982 NCAA Division II National Shot Put Champion.

The athletic department of Lister's alma mater Cal State LA sponsors an annual track meet in his name.

In 2016, he was nominated for the "Best Bad Mu#&a Award" at the All Def Movie Awards. In 2014 at the Orlando Urban Film Festival, he won "Best Star Spotlight" for his performance in No Weapon Formed Against Us.

Personal life

Marriage

He was married to Felicia Forbes, formerly of Cape Town, where they married.

They had one son, Thomas Duane Lister III.

Legal issues

On August 31, 2012, Lister agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to commit mortgage fraud, in a scheme that led to $3.8 million in losses. He was charged with fraudulently buying homes in order to withdraw $1.1 million in home equity loans. In April 2014, he was out on bail and was confident of avoiding prison. He stated, "What's so cool about God and our government is that you can make a mistake and they will forgive you if you just a good person and doing right."

Health problems

By age 55, Lister had type 2 diabetes.

Lister was diagnosed with COVID-19 around August 2020 and overcame the illness. He became ill with symptoms similar to COVID-19 a second time in early December, exhibiting weakness and trouble breathing, which forced him to cancel shooting for a film. His manager Cindy McGowen, who said it was not normal for him to miss filmings, became concerned and sent her assistant to his house to give him vitamins and antibiotics.

Death

On December 10, 2020, police performing a wellness check found Lister dead in his home in Marina del Rey, California; he was 62 years old. The coroner's office investigated his cause of death, which was originally suspected to be from complications of COVID-19. However, the final autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

In a Twitter encomium, Ice Cube recalled Lister's sense of humor: "RIP Tiny 'Deebo' Lister. America's favorite bully was a born entertainer who would pop into character at the drop of a hat terrifying people on and off camera. Followed by a big smile and laugh ... Thank you for being a good dude at heart. I miss you already."

Championships and accomplishments

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #500 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

References

1. ^ "Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.'s Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
2. ^ "Zeus' WWE alumni profile". WWE. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
3. "Death Certificate" (PDF). TMZ. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
4. "Tommy Lister Legally Changed His Middle Name to 'Debo' Ahead of His Passing". January 15, 2021.
5. "'Friday' Actor Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Died of Heart Disease, Autopsy Reveals". Complex. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
6. ^ Golianopoulos, Thomas (May 29, 2014). "Say Hello to the Bad Guy". Grantland. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
7. ^ Bengel, Chris. "Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, former WWE superstar and Deebo from 'Friday' movie series, dies at 62". CBS. Retrieved December 11, 2020. Lister wrestled under the moniker Zeus in WWE and feuded with Hulk Hogan
8. ^ Lee, Kirby (March 27, 1994). "Taking a Shot at Films: Cal State L.A. shotput title-holder Tommie Lister Jr. transferred his athletic success to pro wrestling—and now acting". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
9. ^ Landrum, Jonathan Jr. "Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, who played Deebo in 'Friday,' dies". Associated Press. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
10. ^ Boone, Keyaira (December 11, 2020). "Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr. Dead At 62". Essence. Lister's appearances as Deebo in "Friday" and "Next Friday" had a lasting effect on black film cannon.
11. ^ "Tommy Tiny Lister filmography". March 6, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
12. ^ Hauser, Christine (December 11, 2020). "Tommy Lister, Actor Who Menaced as Deebo in 'Friday,' Is Dead at 62". The New York Times.
13. ^ Fictional Presidential Films: A Comprehensive Filmography of Portrayals from 1930 to 2011. Xlibris Corporation. July 2011. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4628-9319-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
14. Klemens, Herbert (2001). Movies of the 90s (Paperback). Taschen. p. 516. ISBN 3-8228-5878-1.
15. "Cast | Busy Day Movie – Attila Arpa, Tommy Lister, Quinton Aaron". Busydayproductions.us. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
16. Ball Park Jerky Vending Machine on YouTube
17. Moon, Sarah (December 11, 2020). "Thomas 'Tiny' Lister Jr., 'Friday' actor, dead at 62 after apparently experiencing Covid-19 symptoms". CNN.
18. "A look at 'Tiny' Lister's best acting roles" (Video). CNN. December 11, 2020.
19. Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television. Vol. 1 (17th ed.). United States: Gale Research Company. 2000. pp. 260–261. ISBN 9780787631857.
20. "Tommy "Tiny" Lister - Rotten Tomatoes". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
21. "Tiny Lister | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
22. "Tiny Lister". www.tcm.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
23. "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
24. "Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
25. "Tommy Lester Filmography". Retrieved December 14, 2020 – via Bing.com.
26. "Wide Receiver Samuel Deebo Mourns Death of His Namesake, Tommy Lister". East Bay Times. December 11, 2020.
27. Hindes, Andrew (September 23, 1996). "Street Corner Justice". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
28. "Stern Works Some Magic for Ratings". Los Angeles Times. July 4, 1998. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
29. "Review: Next Friday". News York Times. January 12, 2003. p. 223. ISBN 9780415936965.
30. "No Weapon Formed Against Us". November 2015 – via IMDb.
31. "I Got the Hook Up 2". July 12, 2019 – via IMDb.
32. "Domino: Battle of the Bones". June 11, 2021 – via IMDb.
33. Stillwell, Susie (June 19, 2014). "Tiny Lister: Soaring with the Eagles". Houston Style Magazine. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
34. Dugan, Kelli (December 12, 2020). "Character actor, former wrestler Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr., of 'Friday' fame, dead at 62". Cox Media Group WPXI.
35. "Survivor Series 1989 results". pWwew – Everything Wrestling. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
36. ^ Ryder, Taryn (December 12, 2020). "Tommy 'Tiny' Lister died after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, says manager". Yahoo Entertainment US. Yahoo!.
37. Zeus vs Abdullah The Butcher, WWC 1990, retrieved February 1, 2022
38. Mega Powers vs Ric Flair & Kevin Sullivan. Z-Gangster (Zeus) & The Ultimate Solution debut! (WCW), October 24, 2020, archived from the original on November 14, 2021, retrieved September 10, 2021
39. "Tommy Lister (1995) - Hall of Fame". Cal State LA Athletics. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
40. "'The Match' that lit Tommy Lister's career". California State University, Los Angeles. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
41. "Tom Lister Jr". IMDb.
42. Aukerman, Scott (September 8, 2020). "U TALKIN' TALKING HEADS 2 MY TALKING HEAD #68". U TALKIN' TALKING HEADS 2 MY TALKING HEAD. Earwolf. Event occurs at 25:00. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
43. "Who is Thomas Duane Lister III? 10 Facts To Know About Tommy 'Tiny' Lister's Son o". 44bars.com. March 29, 2022.
44. Pfeifer, Stuart (August 31, 2012). "Actor and Accountant agree to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in mortgage fraud scheme". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
45. ^ Saperstein, Pat (December 11, 2020). "Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, 'Friday' Actor and Wrestler, Dies at 62". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
46. ^ "Thomas 'Tiny' Lister Jr., 'Friday' actor, dead at 62, died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease".
47. Haring, Bruce (December 10, 2020). "Tommy "Tiny" Lister Dies: Menacing Deebo In 'Friday' Films & Ex-Wrestler Was 62". Deadline Hollywood.
48. "Thomas 'Tiny' Lister Jr., 'Friday' actor, dead at 62". December 11, 2020.
49. "Friday' star Tommy 'Tiny' Lister's cause of death is revealed".
50. "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1991". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 10, 2020.

External links

• Online World of Wrestling Profile
• Tommy Lister Jr. at IMDb
• Tommy Lister Jr.'s profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com, Internet Wrestling Database
• Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Producer Profile for The 1 Second Film Archived January 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
• Zeus on WWE.com

• 1958 births
• 2020 deaths
• 20th-century evangelicals
• 20th-century male professional wrestlers
• 20th-century American professional wrestlers
• 21st-century evangelicals
• African-American Christians
• African-American male actors
• African-American professional wrestlers
• American evangelicals
• American male film actors
• American male professional wrestlers
• American male television actors
• American male voice actors
• Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles men's track and field athletes
• Male actors from Los Angeles County, California
• Professional wrestlers from California
• Sportspeople from Compton, California