Standing tall at 1.96 metres, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister was born to African-American parents and is a basketball player turned actor who rose to prominence, because of his acting skills.
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Personal Life
This tall personality isn’t just a highly recognizable figure on screen, but also a highly acclaimed actor. Initially a professional wrestler by the names of “ZGangsta” and “Zeus”, Tiny departed from the world of wrestling in the mid 80s to pursue his ultimate dream of acting. In a long span of 25 years, Tiny has released over 80 incredible films and he still continues to work with some of the best directors and actors from a broad network of genres ranging from drama to comedy and from thriller to science fiction.
Tiny grew up in the city of Compton in California breaking all stereotypes which were associated with his city and race. A normal African-American from Compton would spend his teenage years indulging himself in a gangster lifestyle but a dedicated Tiny chose not to do so. Instead, he decided to stay back at home and watch films and try to imitate his idols.
He stayed away from all kinds of wrongdoings and began to develop a liking for films and television. Tiny grew up watching the likes of Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston, Gary Cooper and Errol Flynn which allowed him a chance to dream and be like his heroes. Thus, Tiny went out to make his dreams come true. Tiny married his wife Felicia Forbes in 2003 and has been living a happy married life ever since. Although there aren’t many details about his kids, it is certain that he has children.
Career
To begin with, Tiny’s career has seen many ups and downs as he was born blind. With great difficulty and efforts, he managed to overcome his problems and emerge out to be a famous actor. He began with small roles. To cite an example, he played the role of a prison guard in the movie, which was appreciated by all, Runaway Train (1985).
In 8 Million Ways to die (1986), he played the role of the bodyguard of Andy Garcia and Powers Boothe’s bodyguard in the movie named Extreme Prejudice (1987). His 6.5 feet, broad-shouldered, shaved-head personality has helped him play such roles of a bodyguard or a fearsome gangster. Tiny’s wrestling accomplishments can be viewed on Survivor Series (1989), Summerslam (1989) as well as WWF Superstars (1986). Unlike many athletic actors, Tiny is quiet modest and has acted in over 80 movies ranging from the bodyguard roles to comedy acts.
Tiny has acted with some of the greatest actors namely Johnny Depp, Samuel L.Jackson and Marlon Brando to some notable directors like Quentin Tarantino, John Frankenheimer and Luc Besson. Along with his life partner, Tiny now ministers across the country and reaches out to the troubled youth and shares his powerful testimony and inspiration in schools and churches. He has continued with his eclectic range of roles for a long period of time. As of now, Tiny’s net worth is estimated to be around $100,000.
Last Modified: Mar 9, 2020
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