Tommy “Tiny” Lister, a former professional wre-stler who was known for his bu*lying Deebo character in the “Friday” films, has passed away . He was 62.
Lister’s manager, Cindy Cowan, said he was found unconsc!ous in his home in Marina Del Rey, California, on Thursday afternoon. He was pronounced de-ad at the scene.
Cowan said Lister was d!agnosed with Covid-19 earlier this year. She said the actor overcame the v!rus, but he became s!ck about a week ago and recently had tro-uble breathing.
The ca-use of loss has not been released, and the coroner’s office is investigating.“He was a gentle giant,” Cowan said. “He had a smile as broad as you could imagine. He’s going to be missed by so many. We’re all deva-stated.”
Lister started his career as a pro wre-stler, standing 6-foot-5 with broad shoulders at about 275 pounds. His early roles included HBO football series “1st & Ten” along with movie appearances in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which starred Eddie Murphy, and “No Holds Barred,” the 1989 film where his character Zeus challenged Hulk Hogan in a wre-stling match.
The actor, who was blind in his right eye since birth, wre-stled Hogan in the World Wre-stling Federation in an actual match after the “No Holds Barred” film release. He also had a short stint in the World Championship Wre-stling under the name Z-Ga-ngsta.
However, Lister’s most notable role came in the 1995 film “Friday” and its sequel five years later. He portrayed the role of Deebo, a felon who was known as the neighborhood bu-lly who terr-orized his neighbors with int!midation and fe-ar. His character was known for his infamous line “Get kn-ocked out like your father used to.”
“RIP Tiny “Deebo” Lister,” Ice Cube said Thursday night on Instagram. “America’s favorite bu-lly was a born entertainer who would pop into character at the drop of a hat terr!fying 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.”
Lister also appeared in “The Fifth Element,” “The Dark Knight” and “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” “WWE is saddened to learn that Tom “Tiny” Lister, known as Zeus to the WWE Universe, passed away today,” the WWE said in a tweet.
The Compton, California, native was a track and field star who became the 1982 NCAA Division II shotput champion while he attended Cal State University, Los Angeles. He briefly played football with the New Orleans Bre-akers of the United States Football League.“One of the nicest bull!es we’ve come across. RIP Deebo,” the San Francisco 49ers said on Twitter. Deebo Samuel, a 49ers wide receiver, got his nickname from Lister’s character. The loss was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.