6/17/2013 12:25 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Abigail Breslin
100,000 Reasons She
NEEDS to Win an Oscar

Exclusive
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Most 17-year-olds feel pressure to get into a good college, but not Abigail Breslin ... the teenage A-lister has $100,000 riding on whether or not she can nab an Academy Award from her upcoming flick.

According to Abigail's minor's contract -- recently obtained by TMZ -- the lil star was paid $75,000 for two weeks worth of work on a film called "August: Osage County" shot last fall. It also stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

Now here's the interesting part ... in AB's contract a special clause was added just for awards ... which states if Abigail wins the Golden Globe for best supporting actress she nabs a $50,000 bonus.

There's more ... if Abigail wins an Oscar she gets ANOTHER $50,000. And if she wins both, they throw her the whole shebang. Plus all that other stuff like: respect, honor, esteem, ... yadda, yadda.

Of course with moves like these, it's in the bag ...

3/11/2013 7:35 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Billy Crystal to MacFarlane:
Don't Sweat Oscar Haters ...
EVERYONE Gets Ripped

Exclusive

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Billy Crystal doesn't feel the LEAST BIT bad for Seth MacFarlane for all of the crap he took for his performance as Oscars host this year ... telling TMZ dealing with haters is simply part of the gig.

Crystal was leaving a birthday dinner at Spago this weekend (he'll be 65 on Thursday) ... when we asked if he thought the critics were being too hard on the "Family Guy" creator for all of the boob, race, and Kardashian jokes he made at the Oscars (some of which were hilarious BTW).

But Crystal -- considered the GREATEST awards show host of all-time -- shrugged it off like it was no big deal ... telling us, "Everyone gets a hard time who does a show."

Billy didn't just make a good point -- he also gave us a pretty solid up-top high five.

Happy birthday.
2/26/2013 7:43 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Seth MacFarlane
I'll NEVER Host
the Oscars Again

Breaking News
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Rest easy, prudes ... and Kardashian family ... 'cause "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane says there's "no way" he'll return to the Academy Awards as a host.

MacFarlane's hosting performance has been the subject of some major media scrutiny ... by people who take the awards WAAYYY too seriously ... yet, ratings for the show were reportedly UP this year.

Still, when Seth was asked on Twitter if he would ever return as the host ... he tweeted back, "No way. Lotta fun to have done it, though."

Oh, and in case you forgot the joke he made about the K-Squad ... here's what he said while talking about Ben Affleck in "Argo":

"First time I saw him with all that dark facial hair, I thought 'My god, the Kardashians have finally made the jump to film.'"

C'mon ... that's funny stuff.

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2/25/2013 5:08 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Ben Affleck
CLOSE SHAVE!!!

Exclusive
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Ben Affleck shaved his beard hours after winning the Oscar for Best Picture ... TMZ has learned.

The beard must have been Ben's good luck charm, because he jettisoned it at the "Argo" after-party at Craig's restaurant ... in the hallway right outside the bathroom. As for why he shaved in the hallway ... it had a convenient plug.

We're told a bunch of people took a whack at the beard. 

As for why Ben felt the beard was good luck ... we're told Ben had facial hair when he re-emerged as a major Hollywood player.

How long till eBay?

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Click here... it's not over yet

2/25/2013 5:00 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

'Selena' Actress
Family Pissed About
Oscars 'Memoriam' Snub

Exclusive
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The family of "Selena" star Lupe Ontiveros is incredibly upset she was left out of last night's "In Memoriam" presentation at the Oscars ... despite appearing in dozens of major films over the past 30 years.

Ontiveros -- who passed away in July 2012 --  had roles in "Real Women Have Curves", "As Good as it Gets", and "The Goonies" ... but is best known for her role as Yolanda Saldivar, the woman who murdered Selena.

Ontiveros' son Elias tells TMZ ... the whole family gathered to watch the awards show -- and was "disappointed" Lupe wasn't given her proper due -- especially considering some lesser-known people were honored over his mom.

You'll recall, George Clooney did warn some artists might be left out when introducing the tribute, saying, "For for those friends who are on this list tonight, and many others who aren't, we thank you for the memories."

Other celebs snubbed along with Ontiveros -- Andy Griffith, director Gore Vidal, Sherman Hemsley, athlete-turned-actor Alex Karras, and Sylvia Kristel.

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2/25/2013 4:30 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Elisabetta Canalis
Screw CLOONEY
I Rooted For Tarantino

Exclusive
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He basically MADE HER CAREER ... but Elisabetta Canalis feels no obligation to root for her ex-boyfriend George Clooney ... telling TMZ she was hoping he LOST at the Academy Awards.

Elisabetta was out partying in L.A. Saturday night -- when she dropped the truth bomb, revealing that she wasn't pulling for Clooney's "Argo" to win the Oscar for Best Picture. 

Instead, Elisabetta -- who dated Clooney for 2 years -- told us, "Tarantino ... I LOVE TARANTINO!"

Back when they split up in 2011, George and Elisabetta released a joint statement saying the split was "very difficult and very personal."

Seems Elisabetta has a taste for sour grapes.
2/25/2013 3:26 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Michelle Obama
WAS First to Open Oscar Envelope ... Says Academy

Exclusive
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This is pretty shocking ... a rep for the Academy tells TMZ, Michelle Obama was in fact the ONLY person in the White House to view the contents of the Best Picture Oscar envelope last night.

TMZ broke the story ... it's practically inconceivable that any package -- even a high-profile Oscar envelope -- would reach the First Lady without being thoroughly vetted first.

But a rep for the Academy tells us, "First Lady Michelle Obama was the first and only person to open the Best Picture envelope. PwC [PricewaterhouseCoopers] accountants are the only individuals who have knowledge of the results prior to their live reveal on the Oscars."

As we reported, TMZ spoke to the Secret Service this morning ... and they said, "We're not gonna comment on that."

We're not sure if we're relieved or terrified.
2/25/2013 3:00 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Ang Lee's Oscar Celebration
ANIMAL STYLE!

Breaking Chews
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Nothing goes better with "Pi" than a big, fat juicy In-N-Out burger ... just ask Best Director winner Ang Lee

The man behind "Life of Pi" scarfed the hell out of a burger after the award show last night ... statue in one hand, glorious food in the other.

Lee puts the Ang in Angus.

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2/25/2013 12:45 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

'Southern Wild' 9-Year-Old
DOGGY BAG
Earns Mega-Cash

Exclusive
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Add "business mogul" to her resume -- TMZ has learned, 9-year-old Best Actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis was personally responsible for an EXPLOSION in the doggy bag market this AM ... after rocking her puppy purse on the red carpet.

A rep for Poochie & Co. tells TMZ, the stuffed Yorkie purse was specifically designed for Wallis -- the youngest ever Best Actress nominee for her role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" -- and sales skyrocketed this morning after Wallis debuted the bag on the red carpet last night.

We're told Wallis has been wearing the company's puppy purses to various media events since January -- resulting in a steady double-digit growth for the company -- but this morning, the company saw an exponential upsurge in sales numbers.

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The rep tells us, the Poochie & Co. office has been flooded with calls and emails since this morning ... even from outside the U.S. ... and the company can barely keep up with demand.

As for why they chose to give her a Yorkie for the Academy Awards -- the rep says it's because one of Wallis' dogs is a Yorkie ... so it just made sense.

Wallis also owns a German Shepherd, but the rep said German Shepherds aren't "cute for girls." 

WE COMPLETELY DISAGREE. As proof, here's a cute picture of a German Shepherd puppy. Suck it, haters.

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2/25/2013 8:35 AM PST BY Johnny Lopez

Jennifer Lawrence
I Got Yer Oscar ...
RIGHT HERE!

0225_jennifer_lawrence_infJust in case you didn't love Jennifer Lawrence enough already, here she is flipping off the media moments after winning her Oscar for Best Actress last night.

Fresh from falling down on the way to the stage at the most important moment of her career -- and then playing it off perfectly in her speech -- the gorgeous 22-year-old "Silver Linings Playbook" star jokingly flipped the bird in the press room at the Academy Awards.

Take that, Argo f**k yourself.

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2/25/2013 8:15 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

'True Blood' Star
REJECTED
from Oscar Party

Exclusive
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update_bar
11:40 AM PT -- Sources connected to the party tell TMZ ... Kwanten was invited to the party as a guest of George Clooney and his GF Stacy Keibler ... and SHOULD have been on the list.

We're told party organizers are trying to find out how Kwanten's name was left off the list ... but it's clear the actor wasn't trying to crash the party uninvited.

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TV stars get no respect on Oscar night ... just ask "True Blood" star Ryan Kwanten ... who was embarrassingly REJECTED at the door of a huge Academy Awards party ... and TMZ caught the whole thing on tape.

Kwanten -- sporting a fancy bow tie -- arrived to Craig's in Hollywood with a handler last night ... when they came face-to-face with the security team guarding the front door.

Kwanten and his buddy insisted they were personally invited by Craig himself ... but the bouncer wasn't buyin' it.

Kwanten's handler even whipped out his cell phone and got someone important on the phone to vouch for him ... but when he gave the phone to the bouncer, the security guy STILL wouldn't let him in.

Eventually, Kwanten and his buddy took the note and walked away ... but not before the handler asked the bouncer which company he worked for ... insinuating that heads would ROLL over the rejection.

Don't worry Ryan ... at least you're still pretty.
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