Tom "Tiny" Lister, Once Known As Zeus, Passes Away
The wrestler and actor was 62...
Thomas "Tiny" Lister, an actor who gained a measure of fame in late-eighties WWE as the imposing "Zeus", passed away in Marina del Rey, CA on Thursday, at the age of 62.
TMZ reports that law enforcement responded to a call for an unconscious male at Lister's apartment just before 3 PM local time. Lister was pronounced dead at the scene. No cause of death has been given.
Lister's foray into wrestling actually began as the antagonist of the 1989 Hulk Hogan vehicle No Holds Barred. There, Lister played Zeus, a seemingly-invincible powerhouse dubbed "The Human Wrecking Machine", whose objective was to destroy Hogan's character on behalf of a corrupt TV executive.
The storyline carried over to WWE television in a tie-in, as Zeus feuded with then-World champion Hogan. He teamed with Macho Man Randy Savage in a loss to Hogan and Brutus Beefcake at the 1989 SummerSlam.
Zeus hung around WWE for several more months, wrestling at the 1989 Survivor Series, as well as a one-off "No Holds Barred" pay-per-view. The latter event combined a screening of the movie with a tag team cage match that included the aforementioned participants.
Lister's last involvement in wrestling came at WCW's Uncensored in 1996, once more working as a Hogan enemy (under the name "Z-Gangsta").
As an actor, Lister was best known for playing Deebo, the intimidating neighborhood bully in Friday, and its sequel, Next Friday. Lister also appeared through smaller roles in well-known films such as Beverly Hills Cop II, The Dark Knight, Jackie Brown, and The Fifth Element, among many others.
Cultaholic sends its condolences to Mr. Lister's family and friends.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.