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1-20 of 20
- Actor
- Producer
If you ever wanted a 6' 5", musclebound, broad-shouldered, shaved-head actor to play a terrifying bodyguard, a soldier of fortune or a fearsome gangster, then Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. was your man. The basketball player turned actor, who notched up appearances in roughly 132 films, first popped up in roles such as a prison guard in Runaway Train (1985), Andy Garcia's bodyguard in 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) and Powers Boothe's bodyguard in Extreme Prejudice (1987). Hardly diminutive, 6' 5" Lister was not just a recognizable figure on screen, but also a highly accomplished actor. Originally a professional wrestler known by the names "Zeus" and "ZGangsta" for the WWE (Formerly WWF), Tiny left wrestling in the mid 1980s to pursue an acting career. He worked with some of the best actors and directors, in a wide net of genres - from thriller to science fiction and drama to comedy.
Tommy "Tiny" Lister grew up in Compton, California, but chose to break the curses of his generation at an early age. He stayed away from gang life, choosing instead to stay at home and watch westerns. He chose religion over wrongdoing, and developed an interest in films and television early. Growing up watching Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston and Errol Flynn allowed Tiny a chance to dream, and he envisioned his own life on film and television, creating characters on celluloid that transcended gender and color. With his will set in stone, Tiny went out to make it possible. Tiny made his feature film debut in Runaway Train (1985) with Jon Voight, and spent the next few years learning the craft and appearing in films heavy in action and in talent: 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) with Andy Garcia, Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) with Eddie Murphy, and No Holds Barred (1989) with fellow WWE (WWF at the time) wrestler Hulk Hogan.
In the 1990s, Tiny expanded his resume, continuing to make his mark in films with the best in the business. He joined Johnny Depp and the legendary Marlon Brando in the quirky Don Juan DeMarco (1994) and worked with director Quentin Tarantino and actor Andy Garcia in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). He would later work again with Tarantino in Jackie Brown (1997). Lister's 1990s career benefited from the decade's surge in African-American filmmaking, beginning with his starring role in Mario Van Peebles's western Posse (1993), in which he was thrilled to star with his childhood idol Woody Strode. In a move that was sure to cement his popularity with young audiences across the country, Tiny went on to star as neighborhood bully "Deebo" opposite Ice Cube in the cult comedy Friday (1995), reprising the role for the successful sequel Next Friday (2000). After appearing in comedian Martin Lawrence's A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), Lister played a supporting role in Ice Cube's directorial debut The Players Club (1998) and appeared in Master P's I Got the Hook Up (1998). He also starred in a slew of B-horror films including Soulkeeper (2001), Hellborn (2003) and Dracula 3000 (2004).
Tiny continued with his wide, often eclectic range of roles, and expanded on his original "fierce bodyguard" roles to include comedic and rather quirky performances. He played the President in director Luc Besson's science fiction epic The Fifth Element (1997) opposite Bruce Willis and worked with Adam Sandler in Little Nicky (2000), as well as Mike Meyers and Mike Myers in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). He joined Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia and Rachel Weisz in the crime thriller Confidence (2003). Tiny worked with some of the greatest directors (Quentin Tarantino, Luc Besson, John Frankenheimer), many of our most noted actors (Marlon Brando, Samuel L. Jackson, Johnny Depp, Peter O'Toole) and a good share of the top talent in wrestling and rap (Hulk Hogan, 50 Cent and Tupac Shakur, respectively). His wrestling exploits can be seen on Summerslam (1989), Survivor Series (1989) and WWF Superstars (1986).
However, it was Tiny's devotion to ministry and public speaking that made the biggest impression. Along with his wife Felicia, Tiny ministered across the country, reaching out to troubled youth, and sharing his powerful testimony and inspiration in churches and schools.
Tommy "Tiny" Lister may not have been an A list star, but he was certainly one of Hollywood's most instantly recognizable and busiest character actors, until his death on December 10, 2020, in Marina del Rey, California. He was 62.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Legendary EastEnders actress and Carry On star Barbara Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in Stepney, London, the daughter of Rose (Ellis), a dressmaker, and John Deeks, a costermonger. She was a bright pupil at school and her parents wanted her to go to university, but after her first taste of show business, when her grandmother took her backstage at a theatre, she decided acting was what she wanted to do.
Her mother spent all her savings on a place at the Aida Foster Acting School, where Barbara made her stage debut in Aida's 1950s pantomime at the Golders Green Hippodrome. Aida's tutors tried to iron out her Cockney accent but luckily they didn't succeed. In 1952, she was cast as one of the orphans in the musical "Love from Judy", which opened at London's Saville Theatre. With the show's star, she made her television debut in "Variety Parade". Two years later in 1954, she made her film debut as a school girl extra in "The Belles of St. Trinians", and by 1957, she was performing at London's Winston's Club with Amanda Barrie. The producer Joan Littlewood, who was committed to working class theatre, spotted her at an audition and in 1960 gave her the role which changed her life - Rose in "Fings Ain't What They Used to Be" at London's Garrick Theatre where it ran for two and a half years, during which she appeared in the sitcom The Rag Trade (1961).
As a result of the success of "Fings", Littlewood cast her in the film Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), which was seen by producer Peter Rogers who offered her roles in "Carry On" films, the first of which was Carry on Spying (1964). In 1964, She appeared in Joan's stage version of 'Oh! What a Lovely War' on Broadway and toured America with it. On her return, she was cast in the West End production of Lionel Bart's ill fated musical "Twang", which closed after a short run allowing her to take a role in "Come Spy with Me" with Danny La Rue at London's Whitehall Theatre. During the run, she had a complete change in playing one of the Ripper's victims in the film A Study in Terror (1965), then it was back to lighthearted roles in such films as Carry on Doctor (1967) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and in 1968, a British tour with Frankie Howerd in "The Wind in the Sasafras Tree". In late 1969, Ned Sherrin cast her as the music hall legend Marie Lloyd in "Sing a Rude Song" which opened at the Greenwich Theatre before transferring to the West End's Garrick Theatre.
Windsor did become well known in the London theatrical scene, but it was the "Carry On" comedies that made her a star. Although she appeared in only nine films in the long-running series (she left because she thought they were getting too risqué), she made such an impression as the basically good-hearted but dizzy sexpot that many of the series' fans believe she was in many more than she actually was. She almost didn't get the role originally, as she and series regular Kenneth Williams took an instant dislike to each other, but that was soon overcome and they became lifelong friends.
After she left the series, she continued her stage and film work, and became a regular in a long-running British soap opera, EastEnders (1985) as the matriarch of The Queen Victoria - Peggy Mitchell, which she played in over 1,500 episodes. She wrote two autobiographies, "Barbara - the Laughter and Tears of a Cockney Sparrow" and "All of Me - My Extraordinary Life". She was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment. She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 Queen's New Years Honours for her services to entertainment and to charity.
Dame Barbara Windsor died of Alzheimer's disease on December 10, 2020, in London. She is survived by husband Scott Mitchell.- Actress
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Carol Sutton was born on 3 December 1944 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Steel Magnolias (1989), Ray (2004) and Monster's Ball (2001). She was married to Archie Sutton . She died on 10 December 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.- Roni Pinkovitch was an actor, known for Final Exams (1983), Ricochets (1986) and Rage and Glory (1984). He died on 10 December 2020 in Switzerland.
- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Aleksandre Rekhviashvili was born on 17 January 1938 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was a director and writer, known for Miakhloeba (1989), XIX saukunis qartuli qronika (1979) and Sapekhuri (1985). He died on 10 December 2020.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Günther Bauer was born on 12 October 1928 in Bregenz, Austria. He was an actor and director, known for Die Spinnerin am Kreuz (1970), Der erste Kuß (1954) and Immer die Radfahrer (1958). He died on 10 December 2020.- Forest Draper was an actor and musician who appeared on a variety of television shows and movies between 1955 and 1976; he died in December 2020 at the age of 88. Known for his rugged good looks, he played the part of a cowboy in popular TV westerns such as "Big Valley", "Bronco", "Cheyenne", "Colt 45", "Gunsmoke", "Larabee", "Laredo", "Lawman", "The Lone Ranger", "Maverick", "The Rebel", "Rawhide", "Restless Gun", "The Rifleman", "Roy Rogers", "Sugarfoot", "Texas Rangers", "The Virginian", "Wagon Train", and "Whispering Smith".
Draper also appeared in TV dramas such as "Naked City", "Streets of San Francisco", "Car 54", "The Untouchables", "Hawaii Five-O", "Seahunt", "77 Sunset Strip", "Ben Casey", and "Hawaiian Eye", and in early commercials for Maxwell Coffee House and Gallo Wine. He was an actor in "The Tender Trap" (1955) with Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds, "How The West Was Won" (1962) with Gregory Peck, John Wayne and James Stewart, "Send Me No Flowers" (1964) with Tony Randall, Doris Day and Rock Hudson, "The Night Walker" (1964) with Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck, and "That Funny Feeling" (1965) with Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee.
Draper began his musical career as a drummer and vocalist with the Tony Pastor Orchestra from 1947 to 1954. He played drums for Rosemary Clooney, appeared on the Perry Como show twice and on the Ed Sullivan show once, toured with stars such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Jack Jones, and was the drummer on more than 150 songs recorded at Columbia Records between 1950 and 1965, with artists such as the Four Lads, Johnny Ray, Rosemary Clooney, Guy Mitchell, Kitty Kallen, Tommy Leonetti, Kalin Twins, Don Cherry, and Bobby Darin. - Additional Crew
Bryan Sykes was born on 9 September 1947 in London, England, UK. He is known for To the Ends of the Earth (1997), The Celts (2000) and Bigfoot Files (2013). He was married to Sue Foden and Janis Wilson. He died on 10 December 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.- Born in the film capital of the world near the end of World War I, he made his film debut under the name John Henry Jr. in a Valentine's Day film short. During the 1920s he was considered to be one of the most popular film stars of the decade, alongside Mickey Rooney, Peggy Montgomery, and the many "Our Gang" cast members. When the Depression came, however, Marion found himself getting fewer parts, and when he resumed his film career at the start of his adulthood he was often subjected to less-than-desirable roles, in some of which he would only have one sentence to speak. Despite his film setbacks in adulthood, he made a name for himself by performing in a handful of radio shows, even though he was almost always uncredited. He left acting in 1953 to focus on family and his church.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Kenneth Alwyn was born on 28 July 1925 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. Kenneth was a composer, known for Breakfast on Pluto (2005), Denial (1998) and Affairs of the Heart (1974). Kenneth was married to Mary Law. Kenneth died on 10 December 2020 in the UK.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Narendra Bhide was born in 1973 in India. He was a composer and actor, known for Lathe Joshi (2016), Sarsenapati Hambirrao (2022) and Ranjan (2017). He died on 10 December 2020 in Pune, Maharashtra, India.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Heinz Schirk was born on 22 December 1931 in Free City of Danzig [now Gdansk, Pomorskie, Poland]. He was a director and writer, known for Liebling Kreuzberg (1986), Der Sohn des Bullen (1984) and Tatort (1970). He died on 10 December 2020 in Bickenbach, Hesse, Germany.- Azam Rahnaward Zaryab was born in August 1944 in Kabul, Afgahnistan. Azam was a writer, known for Akhtar, the Joker (1981). Azam died on 10 December 2020 in Kabul, Afganistan.
- Director
- Writer
- Actress
Alicia del Carpio was born in 1930 in Madrid, Spain. She was a director and writer, known for Yo y Tú (1956), El destino es mi aliado (1965) and Infame mentira (1963). She died on 10 December 2020 in Madrid, Spain.- Additional Crew
Astaad Deboo was born on 13 July 1947 in Navsari, Gujarat, India. He is known for Raavanan (2010), Raavan (2010) and Meenaxi: Tale of 3 Cities (2004). He died on 10 December 2020 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.- Miriam Sienra was born on 27 March 1939 in Concepción, Paraguay. She was an actress, known for The Call of the Oboe (1998), Miramenometokei (2003) and Miss Ameriguá (1994). She died on 10 December 2020 in Paraguay.
- Art Department
Gary E. Roloff was born on 29 June 1953 in the USA. Gary E. is known for Basic Instinct (1992), Village of the Damned (1995) and So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993). Gary E. died on 10 December 2020 in Buffalo, New York, USA.- Sheila Alexander-Reid was born on 30 May 1941 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She died on 10 December 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
- Heinz Markmann was born on 21 February 1926 in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He died on 10 December 2020.
- Leila Richers was born in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was an actress, known for Manobra Radical (1991), Jornal da Manchete (1983) and CNT Jornal (1993). She died on 10 December 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.