Wearing a black turtleneck, jeans and New Balance sneakers, Ashton Kutcher was spotted in full character as Steve Jobs as he made his way to the set of the late Apple CEO's biopic in L.A. on Friday.

The 34-year-old "Two and a Half Men" star plays the visionary businessman during his younger years in a movie tentatively titled "Jobs: Get Inspired."



While Kutcher definitely looks the part, it remains to be seen if he can nail the role of a complicated man -- part hippie, part driven businessman, part brilliant, and part crazy.

Steve Wozniak is officially endorsing Ashton Kutcher to play Steve Jobs in an upcoming movie about the Apple co-founder ... telling TMZ, "I'm glad that he's onboard."

The flick -- which begins filming in May -- will reportedly chronicle Steve's journey from "wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple."

Now, Wozniak tells us, "The fear that many might have is that Ashton was selected because he's 'hot' right now. But I feel that his selection was done in the most professional manner. And I'm glad that he's onboard. I think he'll put a lot into it and that he cares about this particular subject."

Apple's employee #2 adds, "It's almost too bad that Steve Jobs is gone. His opinions and guidance, as to the story and film crew and cast would have been invaluable."

Check out Steve's entire statement after the jump ... 

Click here... it's not over yet

Russell Brand just kinda, sorta 'fessed up to the whole iPhone snatch and toss in New Orleans ... hilariously blaming Steve Jobs for the whole thing.

Brand just tweeted, "Since Steve Jobs died I cannot bear to see anyone use an iphone irreverently, what I did was a tribute to his memory."

TMZ broke the story ... Brand was accused of ripping an iPhone out of the hands of a paparazzo in New Orleans Monday night ... and then firing the phone at an office building ... shattering a window.

Cops said they were investigating the incident. Brand has since offered to pay for the window he broke.

Steve Jobs' biological father -- the man who put the former Apple CEO up for adoption as a baby -- can't let go of his son's memory ... gripping his iPhone 4 today outside a casino in Nevada.


80-year-old Abdulfattah "John" Jandali -- general manager at Boomtown Casino in Reno -- has claimed he wanted to keep Jobs when he was born ... but his soon-to-be wife (a student) couldn't handle it.

Apple stores across the country were not the only places people went to mourn the passing of the great Steve Jobs -- a Zen Center in San Francisco held a memorial service to honor the genius,

Jobs was a Buddhist and even had his 1991 wedding presided over by a Buddhist monk named Kobun Chino Otogawa. His passing was felt in the Buddhist community in Northern California, so the San Francisco Zen Center decided to hold a brief memorial on Friday night.

A rep for the center says the memorial service included chanting a traditional Zen chant for those who have died -- and it also included an English section with a dedication specifically to Jobs. It read:

For our great, abiding friend Steve Jobs
And for all those who have passed beyond this life
Into the heart of Buddha.

Steve Jobs' shrewd fashion sense could soon save lives -- TMZ has learned, the company that manufactured his favorite turtlenecks now plans to donate some of their proceeds to cancer research ... in his memory.

A rep for St. Croix knitwear tells TMZ -- starting today, the company will donate $20 to the American Cancer Society for every black mock turtleneck they sell. The offer expires next Thursday.

Unfortunately, the sweaters don't come cheap -- Steve's long-sleeved turtleneck of choice runs $175.

In other words, if you plan to pay tribute to Jobs on Halloween ... you better start saving up now.

"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is honoring the memory of Apple CEO Steve Jobs in the tastiest way imaginable -- with a GIANT 18" Mac-themed cake.

Valastro -- a self-professed Apple geek -- tells TMZ, he baked the black-and-white cake with chocolate fudge this morning ... and will be displaying it in a refrigerator in his New Jersey bakery this afternoon.

Sadly, it's not for sale -- but if Apple wants it, we're told Buddy will happily donate it to one of their stores.

You'd think Steve Jobs' death would destroy financial markets across the globe -- but TMZ has learned, one commodity has experienced a dramatic upsurge in sales today ... mock turtlenecks.

You'll recall, Jobs famously rocked the high-neck knitwear during his keynote addresses for Apple -- and now, the company that makes his favorite sweaters says Jobs' death has doubled its business.

A rep for the St. Croix clothing brand tells TMZ, as soon as news broke that Jobs had passed, their mock turtlenecks flew off the shelves -- adding, St. Croix has experienced an "almost 100% increase in sales" since yesterday.

And Jobs' contribution to St. Croix hasn't gone unnoticed -- we're told the company is currently planning a memorial for the former CEO, but it hasn't decided exactly how it plans to honor its muse.

The rep says, "We have a great respect for everything he did and we're glad he believed in our American-made product."

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he’s been feeling like he’s been “clobbered over the head by a hammer” ... ever since he learned about the death of his friend Steve Jobs.

Wozniak appeared on the “Early Show” on CBS this morning … and said, "When I heard the news my mind went blank."

But Wozniak says, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about all the good times he shared with Jobs ... adding, "My head is swirling in it."

Steve Jobs "died peacefully today surrounded by his family" .... the Apple mogul's family said in a statement.

The family said, "In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his  family."

"We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories."

The statement concludes, "We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy  during our time of grief."

Steve Jobs -- the mega-genius who co-founded Apple Inc. -- has died ... reps for the company have confirmed.

Jobs was 56.

Jobs suffered a number of serious health issues over the years. In 2004, he announced he had a rare -- but treatable -- form of pancreatic cancer ... and had a tumor successfully removed from his pancreas later that year.

TMZ posted a picture of Jobs two days after he resigned as Apple's CEO in August, clearly showing a deterioration in his health.

In 2009, Jobs received a liver transplant after announcing his "health-related issues were more complex than I thought."

Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and 4 children.




4:50 PM: Apple has released a statement ... reading, "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

5:10 PM: Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an email to Apple staff, which reads:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing  human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim