Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister was everything in the film that made him famous – namely Ice cube‘s cult classic “Friday” – because he legally changed his name to honor their memorable character.
TMZ acquired Tommy’s death certificate, and although a cause of death has not yet been officially determined … there was one very interesting hug we noticed. His full name is Tommy Debo Lister, very different from his reported birth name … Thomas Duane Lister Jr.
This is interesting for several reasons. Clearly, Tommy is best known for portraying Deebo in the “Friday” franchise – and no, we did not spell that wrong … but Tommy does. Either way, it’s clear he liked the character – so much so, he actually made it part of his real identity … opting for it instead of ‘Tiny’, his longtime nickname.
His driver, Cindy Cowan, tells TMZ that he made the change about 6 months ago in a court in LA – because he feels that his fans and the general public simply know him from ‘Friday’.
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Like we said … Tommy’s cause of death is currently pending – this is indicated in the document as ‘postponed’, which just means they are still doing tests.
Remember, however, that many in Tommy’s immediate circle believe it was COVID-19. He was incredibly ill in his last days – as evidenced by various videos he participated in – and he contracted the virus earlier this year.
While the medical team is working to shut down, there’s one last thing we need to note about Tommy’s death certificate. It says he was married to Felicia Lister.
If you know, you know … must love it.
TMZ broke the story … 62-year-old Tommy died suddenly last year at his home in the LA area. When paramedics arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
RIP, Deebo.