Share: FB Share X Share Reddit Share Reddit Share
Tommy Lister Jr.

June 24, 1958

Lister was born on June 24, 1958, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Thomas Duane Lister Sr. and Mildred (née Edwards) Lister. He grew up in Compton, California. Since birth, he had a deformed and detached retina in his right eye, causing permanent blindness in that eye.

X (Twitter) Facebook

June 24, 1958

Tommy Debo "Tiny" Lister Jr. (born Thomas Duane Lister Jr.; June 24, 1958 – December 10, 2020) was an American actor and former professional wrestler. As a character actor, he is 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'.

X (Twitter) Facebook

December 27, 1989

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.

X (Twitter) Facebook

July 07, 1990

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

X (Twitter) Facebook

March 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.

X (Twitter) Facebook

2003

He was married to Felicia Forbes in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2003; they have one daughter named Faith Grace Lister.

X (Twitter) Facebook

August 31, 2012

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."

X (Twitter) Facebook

2013

By age 55, Lister had type 2 diabetes.

X (Twitter) Facebook

2014

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.

X (Twitter) Facebook

2015

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."

X (Twitter) Facebook

August 2020

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.

X (Twitter) Facebook

December 10, 2020

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 and the final autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

X (Twitter) Facebook
Home | Recently Updated | Most Popular | Birthdays

About Popular Timelines

Discover the past with PopularTimelines.com, your go-to platform for exploring the rich history of famous people, events, places, and more, all presented in an engaging timeline format. Whether you're a history buff or just curious about significant milestones, Popular Timelines provides a visually captivating way to learn and explore. Navigate through detailed timelines that cover everything from historical events to the lives of renowned individuals, offering a comprehensive view of the world's legacy. Stay informed and enlightened with accurate, well-researched content that brings history to life.

Follow Us