Tommy "Tiny" Lister who is famous for playing intimidating, but lovable tough guys in films like "Friday" and "Next Friday" has died at age 62.
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According to his manager Cindy Cowan, Lister had been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms in the days leading up to his death.
Cowan says, "Tiny began feeling sick a week ago, but he got worse very quickly... he couldn't breathe and felt very weak."
She says he was supposed to work on a movie set last weekend but had to cancel due to his breathing difficulties, and he also canceled a Zoom appearance for a TV festival Wednesday. That was the night Cowan says friends and family tried to call and check on him, but their calls went unanswered.
A release from The L.A. County Sheriff's Department says friends and business associates of Lister became worried Thursday when they hadn't heard from him since Wednesday night. Deputies performed a welfare check where they made their way into his apartment and found him dead.
At this point, cops say it's believed that Lister died of natural causes ... but an autopsy will be performed to determine an official cause of death.