Movie Stars

Billy Bob Thornton was stuck bracing for a nor'easter in New Jersey this week, but he didn't let that stop him from making an appearance at a benefit show in Los Angeles ... as the actor took the stage by FaceTime.

Here's the backstory ... Billy Bob and country crooner Dwight Yoakam have been friends for decades and starred in the 1996 classic flick "Sling Blade" together. Billy was set to host Dwight's event benefitting Children's Hospital L.A., but he's currently out of town shooting the movie "Somedays" with Ariana Greenblatt. Sadly, weather didn't permit him to travel.

Determined to still make it somehow, Billy called Dwight's phone, which was then brought on stage in the middle of Dwight's performance at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood.

10:30 AM PST -- Rudy Youngblood was arrested Thursday after officers say he was found to be in possession of meth during an arrest in October ... this according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

We told you about the October incident -- cops stopped him at a boat ramp in Bell County, Texas and discovered there was a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly assaulting a member of his household. Officers say they found a baggie of what they suspected to be meth on him ... along with a metal scale, straw and a glass pipe. They sent the substance for testing, which they say confirmed it was meth and ultimately let to the issuance of the arrest warrant.

Rudy Youngblood -- best known for his role in Mel Gibson's Oscar-nominated film "Apocalypto" -- was arrested Thursday in Texas on a substance charge, TMZ has learned.

Officers picked him up on a warrant filed in Bell County on Wednesday for a drug charge. He's booked in the Henderson County jail for possession of a controlled substance in an amount between 1 gram and 4 grams ... a felony that could put him behind bars for up to 2 years, along with a fine of $10,000.

City of Brownsboro Chief of Police Scott Myntti tells TMZ ... he was initially pulled over for speeding and when his license was checked, it showed he was wanted. He was cuffed and booked without incident. He remains in custody as of Friday morning.

Wunmi Mosaku must really be feeling all the love from Hollywood, given how she landed her first Oscar nomination Thursday morning ... and it turns out she felt the exact same way on the set of "Sinners."

The actress viewed the movie's team as her family while they worked on the flick, telling Deadline she became "the closest I've ever been to a cast and crew in my whole career" as she collaborated with Michael B. Jordan and director Ryan Coogler.

Mosaku played a hoodoo practitioner in the flick, a high-concept premise that portrayed a pair of twin brothers opening up a juke joint in the South during the Jim Crow era, and ending up battling a group of vampires.

Mosaku said the movie was made with "so much love," and she's "so grateful that it’s not been taken in vain."

She added she "never thought about award season when taking a role," which is fine and all ... though she might change her mind after this one, as she's up for Best Supporting Actress.

"Sinners" collected an unprecedented 16 Oscar nominations ... two more than the previous record held in a three-way tie between "La La Land," "Titanic," and "All About Eve."

It all went down at Mad Bull's Tavern in Sherman Oaks, CA. Sources at the bar tell TMZ, Shia is a frequent patron of the establishment. According to witnesses, he got a little rowdy and ended up getting punched in the face.

Sources close to Shia paint a different story -- they say Shia was jumped on his way out of the bar. They say police arrived on scene shortly thereafter, cuffed everyone involved, and eventually let Shia go. Police have no record of any arrests being made.