Movies

Elizabeth Pena -- who starred in a number of TV shows and films including "La Bamba" and "Rush Hour" ... has died. She was 55.

Pena died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Pena -- whose Hollywood career spanned almost 40 years -- most recently had a recurring role on "Modern Family" as the mother to Sofia Vergara's character ... and recently completed work on the TV series "Matador."

She also starred in her own short-lived sitcom "I Married Dora" in 1987-88 ... and provided voice-overs for cartoons including "American Dad!" and "The Incredibles."

R.I.P.

Well, this is awkward ... Matt Barnes cracking a marriage joke directed at his wife just weeks before they split up -- but it was all scripted for a movie scene they were doing together ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Just a few months ago, Matt and Gloria Govan got together to film a cameo in the upcoming movie "Chocolate City" ... all about the life of a black male exotic dancer.

During the scene, Matt plays a guy who's at a female strip club with his buddies ... and Gloria plays their sassy hot waitress.

The two sides exchange quips -- and Matt eventually fires off a barb at Gloria ... saying, "With that attitude you ain't never getting married."

Yeesh.

As we previously reported, Matt and Gloria separated a short time later ... and now it seems their headed for divorce.

"Jurassic World" is about to do battle with "Iron Man" ... and the victor gets a 13-year-old kid.

Ty Simkins is a hot pint-sized commodity in Hollywood. He starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man 3" ... and he's also set to star in the upcoming dino flick, "Jurassic World."

Ty's "Jurassic" paycheck would dino-soar him to new heights ... $200K base -- according to his contract which was filed with the court. He'll make another $125K if the flick kills. And the sequels would score him $400K minimum for #2 and double that for #3.

Here's the problem .... Marvel -- which produces "Iron Man" -- has locked the kid up for a long time. It has first dibs on 3 sequels ... which could put Ty way past Bar Mitzvah age before he could do "Jurassic."

Nobody's pulling for Denzel Washington's new action flick more than his young co-star Chloë Grace Moretz -- because she's on the verge of a six-figure haul that will make her one of the highest paid teens in Hollywood.

17-year-old Chloë -- who also starred in the "Kick-Ass" movies -- already took home a $400,000 payday for "The Equalizer" ... but according to the her contract she stands to make a ton more if the movie achieves a couple of magic box office numbers.

Since Chloë is a minor her deal has to be filed with the courts -- and TMZ obtained a copy ... which shows she'll get another $150,000 if the movie earns $100 million in the U.S. and Canada. Girl's got a shot -- after 2 weeks it's at $64 million domestically.

Jennifer Lopez is all about her ex-boyfriends this week ... first she hung out with Diddy at a nightclub -- then she checked out her ex-fiance Ben Affleck's hit movie, and offered some strange proof.

Lopez went to see "Gone Girl" Saturday night ... which we know because she posted a pic of her feet up in the theater with the caption, "#GONEGIRL." Weird, but maybe her booty isn't the only thing fans dig.

As we previously reported ... Diddy reunited briefly with J.Lo at Hooray Henry's this week.

Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow reunited with a bunch of their "Pitch Perfect" costars Friday in New Orleans ... all for a pretty awesome "Moulin Rouge" themed wedding party.

Anna and Brittany hung out at Lucky Pierre's for their friend Courtney Barnes' pre-wedding bash with Kelley Jakle and CJ Perry -- more famously known as WWE Diva Lana -- as well as a few Trebles.

We're told the group rented out the Bourbon Street joint for $7K and dined on gumbo.

Unclear if they did any mermaid dancing.

"August: Osage County" actress Misty Upham has been reported missing in Washington ... and her family fears she may be suicidal.

The actress was last seen walking by herself from an apartment Sunday near Auburn ... and her dad says Misty told them she was going to visit friends.

Her dad told the Hollywood Reporter Misty had been dealing with erratic behavior and recently changed her meds. He says when they last spoke Upham told her parents they didn't need to worry about her anymore.

That's when he got nervous and contacted police ... he was worried she might kill herself.

It's like a modern day Ethel Merman and Ray Middleton ... 'cause anything Shaq can do, Grant Hill thinks he can do better -- including movies!

The former NBA star -- who now appears in an AT&T commercial -- was out at Mr. Chow Wednesday night when we asked if he would ever consider taking his talents from TV to the big screen.

"If Shaq can do it, I can do it," Hill told us.

Of course, Grant's gonna need to move quick if he wants to catch up with The Big Fella ... 'cause Shaq's appeared in 16 flicks in his movie career!!!

Keenan Wayans and his little bro Shawn Wayans owe a bundle of cash to an L.A. law firm -- according to a new lawsuit -- but relax ... they shouldn't have to make a "White Chicks" sequel to pay it off.

According to court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the Wayans brothers stiffed the firm for more than $63K in legal services they received back in 2008-09.

The firm -- S & E Azriliant -- claims Keenan owes $21,825 ... and Shawn owes $22K. Additionally, they owe another $20,200 together. Grand total -- $63,485, PLUS interest.

The really sad part -- around the time Keenan and Shawn ran up the legal bill, they made the movie "Dance Flick." Classic lose-lose.

Richard Kiel -- who famously played Jaws in 2 James Bond movies -- died from serious heart problems ... and possibly a heart attack, according to his death certificate.

The certificate -- filed in Fresno County, CA -- lists the immediate cause of death as a POSSIBLE heart attack. It also shows 7' 2" Kiel had suffered from coronary artery disease for several years.

The 74-year-old actor died Sept. 10 in a Fresno hospital ... after being admitted for a broken leg. According to the document, the leg injury was a contributing factor, but not an underlying cause of death.

Stephen Collins' estranged wife tried to persuade a witness to make false claims about sexual molestation to authorities, and when the witness refused she retaliated against that witness ... this according to Collins' lawyer.

Attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan tells TMZ ... the would-be witness will testify in the upcoming divorce trial. Kaplan claims Grant wanted the witness to claim he/she saw Collins molest a girl -- not one of the 3 mentioned in the audiotape. Kaplan says the would-be witness saw no such sexual contact, and when that person refused to testify Grant went on the warpath.

Stephen Collins is accusing his wife of being behind his child molestation revelations because she's using it to screw him in their divorce ... and now we know there is A LOT of money on the line.

Faye Grant filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- in which she lists their assets, which she says total more than $14 million. Grant says she wants half, but Collins' people tell TMZ she wants pretty much everything.

As for the assets, the most interesting is the smallest. Collins appeared on "Scandal," and only pocketed $7,682.

As for the other assets:

-- more than $5 million in property
-- Collins' $16,000 Rolex
-- $40,000 in art
-- Collins' $100,000 vintage guitar collection

Grant says Collins made $40K an episode for "Revolution," but only $5,500 for "The Fosters."

Collins' people say Grant was using the tape to extort more than her fair share in their divorce.

Stephen Collins has been booted off the upcoming "Ted 2" movie ... after TMZ broke the story that the actor admitted molesting and/or exposing himself to young girls.

Producers for the Seth MacFarlane sequel had hired Collins but production sources tell us he was almost immediately fired after TMZ posted the story.

TMZ has also learned ... Collins was the national co-director of The Committee for Stress-Free Schools, part of The David Lynch Foundation. A Foundation official tells us Collins contacted them 2 years ago and asked to be removed from his role for "personal reasons." When we called he was still on the website as the Co-Director. The website was immediately changed.

What do you get George Clooney for his wedding? According to Bill Murray ... NOTHING!!!

Murray was on hand when Clooney sealed the deal with Amal Alamuddin last weekend ... and during a golfing event Thursday in Scotland, he fessed up ... he showed up EMPTY HANDED to the wedding ... and it doesn't sound like he was the only one.

Scott Schwimer, Sparks' entertainment lawyer, tells TMZ, “As a gay, Jewish man who has represented Nick for almost 20 years I find these allegations completely ludicrous and offensive.” Sparks' lawyer for this case, Theresa Sprain, adds, "We deny these allegations."

Nicholas Sparks is a homophobic, anti-Semitic racist who ironically also disrespects Alzheimer's patients ... according to the Jewish ex-headmaster of Sparks' Christian school.

Saul Hillel Benjamin claims in a new lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- he was hired to run the Epiphany School for Global Studies founded by Sparks in 2006.

Benjamin says he began complaining to the author of "The Notebook" and others ... the school had virtually no African Americans -- 2 out of 514 students. Benjamin claims Sparks responded, "Black students are too poor and can't do the academic work."

Benjamin also says Sparks got incensed when he [Benjamin] met with the NAACP North Carolina chapter, telling the headmaster to "engage only in private and less visible contact with African Americans."

The lawsuit goes on ... claiming Sparks ignored bullying claims by gay students and even lent support to a student group that wanted to enact a "homo-caust."

Benjamin also claims Sparks publicly humiliated him by forcing him to get up in front of the entire school and justify his Jewish heritage. He says the parents of the students hurled insults at him while the board applauded.

Benjamin says he was fired and Sparks -- who famously wrote "The Notebook" about a couple's love transcending Alzheimer's -- telling others in the school to ignore Benjamin's claims because he was suffering from Alzheimer's.

Benjamin's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, tells TMZ ... "Apparently, despite the efforts our society has made, Mr. Sparks wants to travel back in time and vilify those who promote diversity and tolerance of all people regardless of their sexual orientation and race."

The little girl who stopped an Ebola outbreak 20 years ago -- in the movies, anyway -- is right in the middle of the real life outbreak in Dallas ... and she's terrified it can't be blocked this time.

Kara Bosworth played the hero kid in "Outbreak" back in '95. She's the one who captured patient zero -- the African monkey that brought Ebola to the U.S. -- and as bad luck would have it ... she now lives in Dallas.

Kara tells us she's keeping a close eye on the case everyone's talking about, but doesn't plan on fleeing Big D ... yet. Kara, now 25, learned a few things from the movie ... telling us she won't run for the hills unless the virus mutates and becomes airborne.