The Biography

Talmadge Layne "Tab" Thacker (March 10, 1962 – December 28, 2007) was an American wrestler and actor. Thacker was the NCAA Division I Wrestling heavyweight national champion in 1984 as a senior. He began his film career after Clint Eastwood noticed him in Time magazine and noted the 6-foot-4 and 450-pound (1.93 m, 204 kg) Thacker's size. Thacker went on to appear in several films including City Heat, Wildcats, two of the Police Academy films, and Identity Crisis. After leaving Hollywood, Thacker returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he opened a remodeling business and operated several nightclubs. He later became a bail bondsman. Thacker died from failing his health at the age 45 on December 28, 2007. He developed diabetes and had a foot amputated some years before he died.