Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr (Actor)

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister in Los Angeles. (Photo: Mark Davis / Getty Images)

If you ever want a 6' 5", muscle bound, broad shouldered, shaven-headed actor to play a terrifying bodyguard, a soldier of fortune or a fearsome gangster, then Tom "Tiny" Lister Jr. is the man you want. This African-American basketball player turned actor first popped up in minor roles such as a prison guard in Runaway Train (1985), as Andy Garcia's bodyguard in 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) and Powers Boothe's bodyguard in Extreme Prejudice (1987). "Tiny" Lister also had a stint in both the WWF & WCW professional wrestling circuits in the late 1980s appearing under the name "Zeus" and "ZGangsta". His wrestling exploits can be seen on Summerslam (1989) (V), Survivor Series (1989) (V) and "WWF Superstars of Wrestling" (1984). However, unlike many muscle bound athletic types, "Tiny" Lister is a reasonable actor, and he has managed to notch up appearances in nearly 80 movies, expanding upon his original "fierce bodyguard" roles to now include comedic and rather quirky performances in films such as Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), the African-American western Posse (1993), as the Federated Territories President in the science fiction epic Fifth Element, The (1997), the cult comedy Friday (1995) and its sequel, Next Friday (2000). Lister has also recently appeared on screen with Adam Sandler in Little Nicky (2000), and with Mike Myers in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), plus he's been seen in a slew of B-horror films including Soulkeeper (2001), Hellborn (2003) and Dracula 3000 (2004) (TV). Tom "Tiny" Lister may not be an A list star, but he's certainly one of Hollywood's most instantly recognizable and busiest character actors.