The Oscars

A lot of people feel like the late Chadwick Boseman was snubbed at the 93rd Oscars -- including a handful of celebs who were at the show ... and they didn't bite their tongues.

We ran into actress Andra Day -- the nominated star from 'The United States Vs. Billie Holiday' -- Sunday night leaving Spring Place in Bev Hills, not too long after the show, and asked if she thought the Academy had gotten better with diversity ... and she said yes. Well, at least partly.

Watch ... she makes it clear they're moving in the right direction, but have a long way to go -- and that pivot starts long before the Oscars get handed out. Of course, we also had to ask about Chadwick losing the Best Actor Oscar to Sir Anthony Hopkins in rushed, anti-climatic finish.

AD kept it real with her answer, and so did her 'Billie Holiday' costar Evan Ross ... although, he put it in more diplomatic terms. Model Winnie Harlow, however, just let it rip with her Chadwick hot take.

Speaking of Hopkins (who wasn't even at Union Station to receive his award) -- he posted a gracious thank you message last night, but also seemed stunned to have won, and gave a shout-out to Chadwick. Fact is, Sir AH was great as the lead in 'The Father' ... so, it's hard for anyone to say he didn't earn his win.

Here's why people thought Chadwick was a shoo-in to win, though -- one, his performance has been called stellar in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' (his last role before he died).

But, more importantly ... the entire award show seemed to be heading in that direction -- show producer Steven Soderbergh literally bumped Best Picture ahead of schedule just for a Best Actor finale.

Regina King was the first presenter to kick off the 93rd Academy Awards -- and she instantly got into the Derek Chauvin trial ... with a powerful message to audiences at home.

The actor/director -- who's actually nominated for an Oscar this year with her film "One Night in Miami" -- made her way to the stage within Union Station in what looked like the opening of a film ... with a ton of "starring" credits being flashed across the screen.

Once she was in front of her audience, Regina didn't hesitate to talk about the big news of the week -- namely, that Chauvin had been found guilty of murdering George Floyd.

She said that the way that verdict went ultimately decided what she was going to be wearing on Sunday ... instead of heels, Regina says she might've been in marching boots had things gone a different direction. You could hear some in the crowd emphatically agree.

Regina also addressed viewers who were tuning in -- saying she knows folks might wanna change the channel when Hollywood starts to "preach" to them ... but she made a point that no amount of money will ever change how she digests these issues, or the fact that they are real in her own life with her own children. In other words, this is personal for her.

Brad Pitt's opportunity to announce an Oscar winner from a film he helped make ... turned into a bit of a diss on live TV ... courtesy of the Best Supporting Actress winner.

Yuh-Jung Youn won the category for her role in "Minari." We know, ya probably didn't see the film -- like many of this year's nominees -- but you'd have to believe Brad did ... because he produced it!!! However, Youn was clearly not impressed.

She gave Brad a shout-out that, whether intended it or not, played like a major diss. Youn said, "Mr. Brad Pitt, finally! Nice to meet you. Where were you when we were filming in Tulsa?"

The limited crowd at L.A.'s Union Station laughed at Youn's remark, perhaps thinking it was a playful flirtation ... and, who knows? Maybe it was an inside joke for the cast and Brad, one of their executive producers.

But, to the general Hollywood public, it seems like she was upset Brad wasn't more hands-on during filming. Anyway, Youn and Brad did get a chance to greet each other as she walked off stage. Check out the interaction ... seems like neither was too bent.

New York based actor Alex Hibbert was only 12 years old when he landed the life-changing role of "Little" Chiron -- who learns valuable life lessons while bonding with Juan the local drug dealer turned father figure -- in the emotional 2016 film "Moonlight" ... which won Best Picture at the 89th Annual Academy Awards.

Hibbert shared the big screen with an incredible cast of actors including Ashton Sanders as the teenage version of Chiron, Trevante Rhodes as the adult version of Chiron ... and of course Mahershala Ali as the paternal, Juan.

Alex Hibbert continues to work in big roles including his character Kevin Williams in "The Chi."

The Academy Awards are being held at a famous L.A. train station this year -- and while that might satisfy COVID needs ... it's also become a dangerous place for the Oscars crew.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a man was arrested Sunday morning at Union Station, where the Oscars are set to take place later this evening. We're told the guy tried running past security and breaking into a secured area ... and even pushed past a guard.

Our sources say the dude was detained by security ... and was eventually booked for battery by the LAPD. It might sound like an isolated incident and just a one-off ... but we're hearing that's far from the reality ... there was at least one other violent run-in this week.

We've heard that as crew members were setting up for the big award show over the past several days ... one of those people was actually mugged by somebody in the area. Sources close to the production tell us the guy ended up getting jacked ... and the suspect fled.

It's unclear if that person was caught or not -- but it's just another example of why it might've not have been the greatest idea to host the Oscars at Union Station this year.

Our law enforcement sources tell us this is, indeed, a high-crime area -- Union Station's right in the heart of DTLA -- and sketchy stuff like this goes down often. With more foot traffic than usual ... we're told that could naturally lead to more targets, which is exactly what appears to have happened.

Susan Sarandon and Cynthia Erivo are planning to draw attention to a little-discussed issue they want people to know about during the Academy Awards ... hospital pricing transparency.

TMZ has learned a PSA is set to air Sunday during ABC's broadcast of the award show -- which will star the two Oscar-caliber actresses doing a spot for a campaign known as Power to the Patients ... a national org that fights for patient rights when it comes to this issue.

We got a hold of the ad early, and it looks like Suze and Cynthia are fully on board with the effort ... noting that hospitals across the country are required by law -- as of this year -- to give patients a full rundown of what their services cost ... BEFORE using 'em on folks.

Most people who've been to the ER or who've had long-term hospital stays know this nightmare all too well ... you're in there getting treated for whatever it is you need, and not long after -- you get a FAT bill in the mail that amounts to tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars you never knew you were agreeing to while being treated.

The whole idea here is educational ... basically letting people know they have a right to know going in, and not to be afraid to demand a hospital's staff to disclose that type of info.

Bill Maher obliterated the Oscars Friday night ... musing that the choices the Academy is making for best films require a name change to the Debbies ... as in Debbie Downer!!!

The 'Real Time' host ticked off the nominees for Best Motion Pic, and viewing may require a serious dose of Prozac, 'cause they're all super depressing.

Bill goes down the list -- "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Promising Young Woman, "The Sound of Metal," "Nomadland," "The Father," "Minari" ... Bill describes each and then lowers the boom with this ... "The 2021`Oscars, brought to you by razor blades, Kleenex and rope."

It's a hilarious ride ... Bill wonders, "What happened to show business? Did they all decide to quit cocaine at the same time?"

It wasn't just funny ... Bill had a point -- “Academy nominations used to say, ‘What great movies we make. Now they say, ‘Look what good people we are.’”

Chadwick Boseman's earned his first-ever Academy Award nomination ... nearly 7 months after he died from colon cancer.

Chadwick was the second one named early Monday morning when the nominations for Actor in a Leading Role were announced. Riz Ahmed for "Sound of Metal," Anthony Hopkins for "The Father," Gary Oldman for "Mank" and Steven Yeun for "Minari" are the other nominees in the category. It's incredible this is his first nom considering the iconic roles he's played.

Chadwick died in August while "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" was in post-production and 3 months before the film's release. He played Levee Green, an incredibly talented trumpet player. The Netflix film is about Ma Rainey ... the influential blues singer during the 1920s.

He had already won a Golden Globe, also his first, for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama last month. Chadwick's widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award on his behalf and gave an emotional speech too.

Taylor had said, "He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices. He would say something beautiful. Something inspiring."

Cicely Tyson, who forged a path for scores of Black actors on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died.

Tyson was a force in entertainment for decades, but in her early years she had few role models because there were few people of color who were at the top of the Hollywood game.

She won 2 Emmys for Lead Actress in 1974, for "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." The year before she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for the movie "Sounder."

Tyson started her career as a model in NYC. She was on the covers of Ebony, Jet, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Still, her mom was none too pleased, telling her she couldn't live in the family house if she pursued entertainment. Her mom didn't speak to her for several years.

Younger audiences would know Cicely from "The Help" and "Fried Green Tomatoes."

She also made her mark on Broadway and won a Tony for Best Actress in a Play in 2013's "The Trip to Bountiful." That made her the oldest recipient ever of a Best Actress Tony.

President Obama bestowed a Presidential Medal of Freedom award to Tyson in 2016, saying, "Cicely made a conscious decision not just to say lines, but to speak out. Cicely's convictions and grace have helped for us to see the dignity of every beautiful member of the American family -- and she's just gorgeous."

Earlier in her career, Cicely starred in a play called "The Blacks." It was an off-Broadway play in the '60s and some of her co-stars were Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones and Louis Gossett Jr.

Cicely was 96.

Stassi Schroeder is actually admitting she was a Karen years before it became a thing ... at least that's how she now views her infamous bitching about the #OscarsSoWhite campaign.

The ex-"Vanderpump Rules" star made the self-assessment while on the 'Tamron Hall Show' ... saying her 2017 comment on her "Straight Up with Stassi" podcast was insensitive.

A little back story ... long before she was fired over racist behavior, Stassi complained saying, “I’m like, really sick of everyone making everything about race. I’m kind of over it … everyone giving their impassioned speeches about race and all of that stuff, I’m like, ‘why is it always just about African Americans?’"

Check out the interview ... Stassi says the comment itself is something she's been wanting to talk about for some time. She says over the last few months she's learned so much about Black history and the obstacles they face as a community every day. Suffice to say ... Stassi is now embarrassed about having that mentality and putting it out there.

It was so bad, Stassi recognizes, that she labeled herself a 'Karen.'

Stassi also addressed her firing from the Bravo show. Stassi says she wonders if people think she's a racist when she goes out grocery shopping or running other errands. She told Tamron, "I've never felt like I was a racist. I don't have hate in my heart, but I recognize I wasn't anti-racist. That's something I've been learning throughout all of this."

Hans Zimmer, one of the most famous film composers, has filed for divorce ... TMZ has learned.

The German-born composer, who won an Oscar for his 'Lion King' score, filed docs Friday in L.A. Superior Court to divorce from Suzanne Zimmer ... according to court records.

Suzanne is Hans' second wife. He was previously married to Vicki Carolin. They divorced in 1992. He started seeing Suzanne shortly thereafter. Hans has an adult daughter, Zoe, with Vicki and 4 kids with Suzanne, but only 2 are minors.

Hans is the guy whose name you hear almost annually come Oscar night. He's been nominated for 11 Academy Awards. He won Best Original Score for Disney's 1994 hit animated film.

Mark Ruffalo is confirming a hot rumor on the heels of "Parasite" winning big at the Oscars -- telling us he'd be honored to join the cast of an American TV version.

We got Mark Monday afternoon at LAX ... shortly after news broke that he was being eyed by HBO to be the lead star of a "Parasite" limited TV series that's in the works. You gotta see Mark's reaction to the Collider report ... 'cause the guy's super amped.

It sounds like he's all but assuring us of his involvement, but he doesn't make the leap to say he's officially on board. He definitely wanted us to know he likes the movie and loves the fact "Parasite" won the way it did ... and wouldn't say no if someone came asking.

That's called playing it coy ... in the biz.

Now, for those who might be rolling their eyes at this idea of taking a Korean flick and reshaping it for American audiences ... settle down. The OG director, Bong Joon-ho, is reportedly still involved, working alongside fellow Oscar-winning director Adam McKay.

So, in other words ... this thing has Joon-ho's blessing, and just as importantly ... he'll be getting paid.

"Parasite" director Bong Joon-ho is a man of his word -- or so it appears after we caught the Oscars' biggest winner partying deep into the night.

The entire "Parasite" cast was still feeling it right around 2 AM Monday when we saw them rolling out of SoHo House in West Hollywood. Joon-ho's masterpiece earned 4 Academy Awards, out of 6 nominations, Sunday night.

After accepting the Best Director trophy, he vowed to "drink until the morning" as he walked off stage ... thinking it was time to start the celebration. Of course, he wasn't done yet ... since he was back a few minutes later to win Best Picture.

Still, based on their mood at closing time, we're guessing Joon-ho and co. kept that drinking promise. Although, we can't say for sure -- admittedly, our camera guy should've utilized their translator more.

However, the film's stars and the director were posing with random strangers, and their Oscars. Kang-ho Song -- the Kim family dad, if you've seen it (and you should) -- looked particularly festive as he happily took pics with fans.

They all loaded into 2 Sprinter vans with a tight grip on their Oscars. Sure, they could've gone back to their hotel rooms after this ... but watch the clip. We're betting they emptied their mini-bars.

To the winner go the spoils!

The Oscars might have had surprise winners, but it's no surprise that everyone -- win or lose -- is still in the mood to party the night away at the huge after-parties.

Netflix scored the most Oscar noms for a studio this year with 20, and celebrated 2 victories at the San Vicente Bungalows in WeHo. Laura Dern, who won Best Supporting Actress for "Marriage Story," attended and was joined by a couple other Netflix movie big shots ... Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Marty came away empty-handed for directing "The Irishman."

Jennifer Aniston was also there, no nominations, but she's Jen ... and that's enough.

Meanwhile, Jessica Alba, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson and Donatella Versace were among the attendees packing into Vanity Fair's shindig at the Wallis Annenberg Center in Bev Hills.

But, Jay-Z and Beyonce's after-party at the famed Chateau Marmont might take the prize for the most celebs -- like Kourtney Kardashian leaving little to the imagination with serious sideboob in her sparkly dress.