Thomas “Tiny” Lister is a late American actor and former wrestler who had an estimated net worth of $100 thousand at the time of his death. The nickname “Tiny” was an ironic play on his 6’5” height and large stature. Lister is well-known for his roles in films such as Friday, The Dark Knight, and The Fifth Element. Fans of professional wrestling will remember him for his rivalry with Hulk Hogan, which began in the 1989 film No Holds Barred.
He was born Thomas Lister Jr. on June 24, 1958 in Compton, California. He was born blind in his right eye. He began his athletic career at Palomar Junior College before transferring to California State University, Los Angeles, where he won the NCAA Division II National Shot Put Championship in 1982. The athletic department of the university now hosts an annual track meet in Lister’s honor.
Lister is best known for his roles in the Friday trilogy as Deebo, the neighborhood bully and antagonist to Ice Cube’s character. He also acted as President Lindberg in The Fifth Element. First appearing in minor roles as a prison guard in Runaway Train, Andy Garcia’s bodyguard in 8 Million Ways to Die, and Power Boothe’s bodyguard in Extreme Prejudice, the African-American actor began his career as a prison guard. Lister had a supporting role in Ice Cube’s directorial debut The Players Club and starred in Master P’s I Got the Hook Up after starring in comedian Martin Lawrence’s A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. In addition to Soulkeeper, Hellborn, and Dracula 3000, he has appeared in a number of B-horror films.
He was a loved icon in the African American community and hip hop culture that he appeared in popular artists music videos like “Young Bleed’s How You Do Dat”, French Montana’s “I Told ‘Em”, and 50 Cent’s “Many Men (Wish Death)” and legendary Michael Jackson’s song “Recall the Time”, where he played Sancho.
Tommy entered the WWF full-time as Zeus, The Human Wrecking Machine, after the film No Holds Barred. Many of the WWF’s biggest stars, including Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Randy Savage, fought against him. From 1989 to 1990, Tommy fought in the WWF now WWE. Between 1990 and 1996, he worked for a number of different wrestling companies, including World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Unfortunately, Tommy pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud conspiracy in 2012. Between November 2005 and June 2007, Lister and several others used fake bank accounts to purchase four properties in Los Angeles. Mortgages totaling $5.7 million were obtained by the company. They then went on to take out over $1 million in home equity loans. They soon defaulted on their mortgages, resulting in a severe loss of $3.8 million for many unsuspecting lenders.
Tommy was a born-again evangelical Christian. In January of 2003, he married Felicia Forbes, with whom they shared one child. He traveled around the country with his wife Felicia, ministering to troubled children and sharing his strong testimony and inspiration in churches and colleges. Lister might not have been an A-list celebrity, but he was one of Hollywood’s most well-known and active actors. He passed away on December 10, 2020, aged 62 in his California home.
Sources: Bleacher Report, CNN, Celebrity Net Worth, IMDB