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Published 11:22 IST, December 11th 2020

Tommy Lister: Former WWE superstar and actor passes away at the age of 62

Former WWE superstars and renowned actor Tommy "Tiny" Lister died at the age of 62 on Thursday, December 10, 2020, according to his manager Cindy Cowan.

Reported by: Adil Khan
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Former WWE superstars and renowned actor Tommy "Tiny" Lister died at the age of 62 on Thursday, December 10, 2020. According to his manager Cindy Cowan, Law enforcement was called by neighbours after they saw the actor unconscious at his Marina Del Ray, California, residence. Cowan claims that Tommy Lister displayed some symptoms of COVID-19 in the past few days and even cancelled shooting of his upcoming movie project because of that.

TMZ states that the Friday actor was not transported to the hospital as he was pronounced dead at the scene. However, the coroner is yet to confirm the cause of Tommy Lister’s death. “He was a wonderful guy with a heart of gold. Everyone loved him. A real gentle giant. We’re all devastated,” Cindy Cowan told Variety.

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Tommy Lister cause of death: Tommy Lister WWE career

Tommy Lister entered the pro-wrestling scene with the 1989 film "No Holds Barred". There, the actor played an antagonist named “Zeus,” a nemesis of WWE legend and Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. Following the film, Lister took the gimmick into the WWE (then WWF) and was billed as "Zeus: The Human Wrecking Machine".  

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After making his debut in the mega promotion, Tommy Lister stared feud with Hogan and even teamed up with Hogan's rival "Macho Man" Randy Savage to punish the legend. In his short time with the company, Zeus featured in some major storylines and worked with greats like Ted DiBiase, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Demolition and others. Following his run-in Vince McMahon’s company, Lister appeared in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Z-Gangsta.

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Tommy Lister cause of death: Tiny’s huge movie career

Apart from fighting wrestling legends in the WWE and WCW ring, Tommy Lister also appeared in several high-profile movies like The Dark Knight, The Fifth Element, and Zootopia. However, he is widely remembered for playing Deebo in the Friday film series. One of Lister's co-stars, Ice Cube, took to Twitter and remembered the entertainer shortly after the news of his death went viral.

"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," wrote Ice Cube. 

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Image Source: WWE.com

Updated 11:22 IST, December 11th 2020

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