Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, Deebo in Friday, dies at 62

Tommy "Tiny" Lister, the actor known for playing the neighborhood bully Deebo in the Friday movies, has died at the age of 62. Lister's agent confirmed his death to EW.

According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, homicide investigators are responding to the death of a male Black adult that was reported Thursday just before 3 p.m. in Marina del Rey, Calif. When contacted by EW, a spokesperson for the department could not confirm if the victim was indeed Lister.

TMZ first broke the news and reported that Lister was pronounced dead on the scene, and a cause of death has yet to be determined.

Lister famously played the intimidating Deebo opposite Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in 1995's Friday and reprised his role for the first sequel, Next Friday.

Shortly after Lister's death was announced, Ice Cube shared a tribute to his former costar on social media.

"RIP Tiny 'Deebo' Lister," the rapper wrote. "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."

Born in Compton, Calif., in 1958, Lister attended California State University at Los Angeles, where he was the 1982 NCAA Division II national shot put champion. After graduating, he pursued football before pivoting to acting.

He also appeared in films including The Fifth Element, Jackie Brown, Judgement Day, and The Dark Knight, and more recently he voiced the fox Finnick in 2016's Zootopia. On the small screen, Lister had roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, Moesha, and The Cleveland Show, and appeared as himself in Wild n' Out.

Aside from acting, the 6'5" Lister was a professional wrestler for a short time and fought against Hulk Hogan as Zeus: The Human Wrecking Machine. The feud was inspired by the 1989 wrestling movie No Holds Barred, which starred Hogan and featured Lister as Zeus.

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