In a move that was sure to cement his popularity with young audiences across the country, Tiny went on to star as neighborhood bully "Deebo" opposite Ice Cube in the cult comedy Friday (1995), reprising the role for the successful sequel Next Friday (2000). Lister's 1990s career benefited from the decade's surge in African-American filmmaking, beginning with his starring role in Mario Van Peebles's western Posse (1993), in which he was thrilled to star with his childhood idol Woody Strode. He would later work again with Tarantino in Jackie Brown (1997). He joined Johnny Depp and the legendary Marlon Brando in the quirky Don Juan DeMarco (1994) and worked with director Quentin Tarantino and actor Andy Garcia in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). In the 1990s, Tiny expanded his resume, continuing to make his mark in films with the best in the business. Tiny made his feature film debut in Runaway Train (1985) with Jon Voight, and spent the next few years learning the craft and appearing in films heavy in action and in talent: 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) with Andy Garcia, Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) with Eddie Murphy, and No Holds Barred (1989) with fellow WWE (WWF at the time) wrestler Hulk Hogan. With his will set in stone, Tiny went out to make it possible. Growing up watching Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston and Errol Flynn allowed Tiny a chance to dream, and he envisioned his own life on film and television, creating characters on celluloid that transcended gender and color. He chose religion over wrongdoing, and developed an interest in films and television early. He stayed away from gang life, choosing instead to stay at home and watch westerns. Tommy "Tiny" Lister grew up in Compton, California, but chose to break the curses of his generation at an early age. He worked with some of the best actors and directors, in a wide net of genres - from thriller to science fiction and drama to comedy. Originally a professional wrestler known by the names "Zeus" and "ZGangsta" for the WWE (Formerly WWF), Tiny left wrestling in the mid 1980s to pursue an acting career. Hardly diminutive, 6' 5" Lister was not just a recognizable figure on screen, but also a highly accomplished actor. The basketball player turned actor, who notched up appearances in roughly 132 films, first popped up in roles such as a prison guard in Runaway Train (1985), Andy Garcia's bodyguard in 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) and Powers Boothe's bodyguard in Extreme Prejudice (1987). If you ever wanted a 6' 5", musclebound, broad-shouldered, shaved-head actor to play a terrifying bodyguard, a soldier of fortune or a fearsome gangster, then Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.
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