Movies

Rian Johnson is just like the rest of us when it comes to the new 'Star Wars' movie ... he hasn't seen it yet, despite him directing its predecessor in the series.

The filmmaker opened up to us this weekend in NYC about whether he'd gotten any sort of sneak peak ahead of 'The Rise of Skywalker' hitting theaters later this month. As it turns out ... he hasn't! No special treatment for the guy who manned 'The Last Jedi,' it seems.

It's NBD to Rian though -- he tells us he's looking forward to watching it in theaters for the first time like everyone else. Interestingly, he also says he hopes it's the best one ever.

Now, on to a much more serious topic we absolutely needed Rian to weigh in on ... is Baby Yoda actually cuter than those damn puppy-eyed Porgs??? John Boyega sure thought so.

Check out RJ's answer ... he's noncommittal at first on which one is truly more adorable -- almost like a parent who doesn't wanna compare their kids -- but he finally caves and chooses sides. His choice might not surprise you, or anyone who's watched 'Mandalorian.'

Rene Auberjonois -- who starred in "Benson," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and several other hit shows over the decades -- has died.

The veteran TV, movie and voice actor passed away Sunday at his L.A.-based home after a battle with metastatic lung cancer, according to his son, Remy, who spoke to the Associated Press.

Auberjonois is perhaps best known as Clayton Endicott III on "Benson" -- the snobbish chief of staff to Governor Eugene X Gatling in the hit '80s sitcom -- which itself was a spinoff of "Soap." He played the role for 6 seasons, acting in 135 episodes through 1986.

In the '90s, he went on to play Odo on 'Deep Space Nine' opposite Avery Brooks -- starring in all 173 episodes. His TV career was even more prolific beyond that though -- Auberjonois had supporting roles in hits like "NET Playhouse," "Rhoda," "Charlie's Angels," "Frasier," "Starsky and Hutch" "The Jeffersons," "L.A. Law," "Matlock," "Boston Legal," "Madam Secretary" and many, many more.

As far as movies are concerned, he might be best remembered as Father John Mulcahy in "M.A.S.H." ... and for voicing Chef Louis in "The Little Mermaid." He acted in plenty of others too -- 'Police Academy 5," "King Kong," "The Patriot," "Eyes of Laura Mars," "Batman Forever," etc.

The guy might've been an even busier voice actor, having lent his talents to animated series like "Jonny Quest," "Pound Puppies," "The Looney Tunes Show," "Scooby-Doo," "Archer," "Justice League" and a bunch of others. In short, he worked a lot ... and had an extensive resume.

Auberjonois is survived by his wife, Judith, his 2 children and three grandchildren. He was 79.

Jeff Ross is welcoming Tiffany Haddish to the Jewish faith with open arms -- and he's also inviting anyone else of color to get on-board and enjoy the perks of Tribe membership.

The comic gave us his two cents Saturday outside of his Roastmaster's pop-up coffee shop on Ventura Blvd. in L.A. -- telling us what he made of Tiff recently embracing her Jewish heritage and celebrating it with a Black Mitzvah in conjunction with a new comedy special.

Watch ... Jeff seems ecstatic over the news and gives her a couple tips on how live like a Jew. He also has a message for other black celebs who are thinking of converting ... which sounds like great material he might use in a roast setting. That's sorta his thing.

Our photog pivots to Hanukkah, asking if Jeff thinks TH might enjoy that over a traditional Christmas. He's got a hilarious take on that too ... comparing Tiffany to a menorah.

Ryan Reynolds put his action hero skills to use this weekend in Brazil -- where he was almost flattened by a barricade that gave way to a massive swarm over overzealous fans.

The actor was in Sao Paulo Saturday for CCXP 2019, a comic con event which had some heavy hitters from the States on hand to plug their new movies. Ryan was promoting "Free Guy," while J.J. Abrams, Daisy Ridley and the rest of the 'Star Wars' crew were there to hype up 'The Rise of Skywalker.' MCU heads were there too ... a Disney love fest, basically.

Anyway, while Ryan was making his way down the stage platform, he hopped off to say hello to the front row fans ... seemingly wanting to shake hands and meet them face-to-face.

Well, that backfired pretty quickly ... because the barricade toppled over -- sending everyone who was reaching over straight to the ground ... and Ryan flying back himself. Gotta say, the dude's got great reflexes -- guess that's why they pay him the big bucks, huh?

All kidding aside ... it was a pretty freak moment that could've possibly injured Ryan. Good guy that he is though, he stuck around appeared to hop down and attempted to help. BTW, based on other videos, it looks like something similar happened on the other side as well.

No one seemed to be seriously injured in the ordeal, and the event reportedly carried on as scheduled. Still, a note to the tech crew ... get a stronger barriers, or move people back.

Clint Eastwood is apparently a dear to work with ... so says the director's latest leading man, Paul Walter Hauser.

We got the actor Saturday in NYC, and he dished on what it was like working with Clint on his new movie "Richard Jewell" -- which documents the scandal surrounding the real-life security guard who found a bomb ... and then got accused of being the drop man.

PWH says he had a great time on set with with Clint, telling us the dude's a straight up sweetheart -- an ego-less one that. Plus, he's a freakin' icon ... that's a given.

We also ask Paul if it was intimidating to work with someone of that caliber, and surprisingly ... he says it wasn't, even if it should've been. That's interesting, considering what more seasoned actors have said about CE, which is pretty much the exact opposite.

Tom Hanks famously said in 2016 that Clint "treats his actors like horses" in the sense that he wrangles everyone up as needed, and was seemingly a bit of a hard ass on set.

Kim K is doing exactly what she needs to in the collective fight for criminal justice reform -- no more, and no less ... so says the famed defense attorney who inspired 'Just Mercy.'

We ran into Bryan Stevenson Saturday in NYC, where he was doing press for the new flick about his real-life role in exonerating Alabama death row inmate Walter McMillian in the '90s. Michael B. Jordan plays him in the upcoming feature, opposite Jamie Foxx.

Seeing how he's a lifelong crusader for the cause, our photog asked what he made of Kim's efforts to help put a spotlight on prisoners she feels have been railroaded by the system ... including death row inmate Rodney Reed, who was recently granted a stay of execution.

You'll recall ... Kim was with Rodney when he heard the news, and according to her -- he praised Jesus in the moment. She and plenty of others had pled with Gov. Abbott to halt Rodney's execution and consider revisiting his case in light of new evidence.

As far as Bryan's concerned, Kim's doing a good thing by using her platform to bring attention to these cases ... but he stops short of saying she's a glorified savior of any kind.

If anything, it sounds like he's downplaying how she'll be remembered -- and based on his careful answer, he doesn't seem to believe her work is on his level ... not yet, anyway.

Elliott from 'E.T.' allegedly tried to pull a fast one during his Oregon DUI stop by brazenly tampering with his urine test, then playing it cool in hopes of passing a blood alcohol test.

Henry Thomas refused to complete breathalyzer and field sobriety tests ... according to the Tualatin PD report on his October DUI arrest, and instead, he was taken to the station for a urine test.

In the report, obtained by TMZ, cops say they placed the actor in a holding cell before requesting the urine sample. As an officer was reading Henry the consent form, cops say he interrupted, asked for the cup and went over to the toilet to get down to biz.

Police say the officer turned her back to Thomas' cell and continued reading the consent form, and heard him taking a leak. But, when he returned the cup, cops say it was not warm and the sample was completely clear and filled to the brim.

Cops asked Thomas if he tampered with the urine sample by dipping it into the toilet, and he denied it.

As we first reported, Tualatin cops responded to a call of Thomas being asleep at the wheel in the middle of an intersection, and say they found 'fast acting THC' in his car.

Anyway, cops say while they were transporting Thomas to a hospital for a blood test, he threatened to sue the police department and the city ... and bragged about being the child star from 'E.T.'

He got one more chance to provide another urine sample at the hospital, but police say the actor claimed he didn't have to pee and again insisted he didn't tamper with the earlier sample.

But, just like Steven Spielberg's iconic 1982 film, there's a happy ending for Elliott.

IF he cheated the pee test, he never got busted for it, because he took a sweet plea deal and won't spend any time behind bars.

Meg Ryan's no longer an island girl ... she's unloaded her Chappaquiddick Island mansion, and it's gotta connection with Barack and Michelle Obama's new island pad.

Our Massachusetts real estate sources tell us Meg just closed the deal to sell her 6,600-sq-ft crib for $9.125 million. She's been in the home -- which sits on just over 5 acres -- for about 10 years. We're told she bought it for about $6 million.

The spread has 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and isn't far from the water to the east and west. Translation: tremendous sunrise and sunset views from inside the home.

We know all you history buffs are wondering, so we Googled for ya. Meg's old place is less than 3 miles from the infamous Chappaquiddick bridge where Ted Kennedy crashed in July 1969.

Meg was repped in the sale by Tom LeClair and Gerrett Conover of Landvest. If those names sound familiar, it's because they're having a helluva week!

They also helped the Obamas close on their new $11.75 million estate on neighboring Martha's Vineyard.

Richard Grieco of "21 Jump Street" fame tried to fly from Texas to Pennsylvania -- but he ended up in jail instead -- because according to cops, he had too much to drink.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ cops were flagged to Grieco's gate at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Thursday by an agent who denied him boarding. We're told Grieco was hunched over the counter, yelling at employees and slurring his speech ... he also reeked of booze.

Cops say they sat Grieco down for a chat and he admitted to drinking two cranberry vodkas before the flight. Grieco was taken into custody for public intoxication and officers note he was very unsteady on his feet when they brought him in for booking.

What's more, according to the arrest report -- obtained by TMZ -- Grieco had prescription Klonopin in his bag ... which he said he takes because he's a nervous flier. The cops note the pill shouldn't be taken with alcohol.

The airline booked Grieco another flight for Friday morning.

We reached out and spoke to Grieco who tells us the whole thing was an unfortunate incident and "not that big of a deal."

Los Angeles-native Brian Tochi was in his mid-20s when he took the role of the pie-loving Lambda Lambda Lambda member, Toshiro Takashi -- who wins the tricycle race and mans the gong in the famous music scene -- in the 1984 greek geek flick, "Revenge Of The Nerds."

Brian Tochi was cast alongside a stellar group of spaz stars including Andrew Cassese as the child-genius Wormser, Larry B. Scott as the javelin throwing, Lamar Latrell, Robert Carradine as the leading lover, Lewis Skolnick and Curtis Armstrong as the wonder joint rolling, Booger.

Michael Blackson learned 2 very valuable life lessons ... and it all went down at a gas station.

The comedian's saga is full of twists and turns and eventual triumph, so buckle up. We got Mike at a Shell Station in L.A. after noticing he had some car trouble, and he tells us he made a boneheaded mistake as old as Karl Benz's first automobile -- he ran out of gas.

Blackson says he didn't believe it when his luxury car was telling him he needed to fill up his tank ... and his Rolls stopped rolling at a nearby intersection.

What happened next is equal parts hilarious and pathetic -- but hey, Michael admits he's not a handyman -- and he was left completely clueless as to how to remedy his dire situation.

That's when he turned to an unlikely source for some help in his time of need, especially for a Philadelphia Eagles fan ... a man wearing a Dallas Cowboys shirt.

It was a wise move though because the kind Cowboys fan turned out to be hella resourceful ... and got Blackson all gassed up and back on the road. He might have made a new friend too.

So, what are the lessons learned here for the comedian? 1) Love your enemies ... and 2) Go get gas as soon as your damn light comes on.

Justin Timberlake is apologizing to Jessica Biel for getting cozy with his female costar in New Orleans ... and while he admits he was drunk, he insists nothing sexual happened.

Justin was photographed with Alisha Wainwright on a balcony at a NOLA bar last month, and they seemed to get handsy. He's clearly seen and heard all the buzz about the pics. He says he "displayed a strong lapse in judgement" with Alisha, his costar in "Palmer" ... a movie they're currently filming down there.

He added, in a lengthy IG post, the rumors about the incident are "hurting the people I love."

Justin blames the whole situation on alcohol, saying he drank way too much that night, but adds nothing happened between Alisha and him.

Translation, we held hands but didn't have sex.

JT says he should be setting a better example for his and Jessica's 4-year-old son, Silas Randall, and apologizes to his wife and family for putting them through what he calls an "embarrassing situation."

Tyler Perry is getting showered with love from the sick man he basically rescued from a Mexican hospital -- and the guy says he'd STILL be trapped if not for Tyler.

Stephen Johnson says Tyler is his real-life superhero for covering his $14,000 hospital bill and paying to fly him home to Atlanta. Remember, Stephen fell ill while on vacay ... and says the hospital was holding him until he paid for his treatment in full.

Stephen tells us he just got out of another hospital in Georgia, and he's finally on the mend after being diagnosed with pancreatitis, diabetes and a kidney infection while in Mexico -- and he has a special message for Tyler.

It's pretty wild ... Stephen says the hospital staff in Mexico was doing the bare minimum to keep him alive before his story went viral, and caught the attention of the media and Tyler.

Jenna Dewan is trading in birthday cake and candles for cardboard boxes and dollies ... she's moving into her new digs as she celebrates 39 trips around the Sun.

Check out these pics of Jenna and her boyfriend Steve Kazee on her birthday ... no celebrations, just business as they move into her new crib in Los Angeles. This is 39.

The good news is Jenna doesn't have to do any heavy lifting ... she's got a hunky BF and some movers to take care of everything. Of course, it looks like she's still overseeing the whole process -- it's the birthday girl's day after all.

Jenna's been living with a Steve for a little while now, and we're told she recently closed on the home ... and Tuesday was the big move-in day.

As you know ... Jenna's locked in a nasty custody battle with her ex, Channing Tatum, with the parents going at it over daughter Everly's custody. Channing is asking a judge to lay out a detailed schedule for who gets their girl and for how long, including holidays, birthdays and work trips ... something sources on Jenna's side say was already figured out.

Kevin Pollak says Martin Scorsese's new mobster flick, "The Irishman," was as good as it gets for the genre -- but there was a little issue according to him ... the stars were too damn old.

We got the veteran actor right on the heels of the new flick landing on Netflix and asked for his thoughts on it ... considering he starred in Marty's "Casino" and tons of other crime movies. Turns out, he loved 'Irishman' ... with one caveat, and it's hard to tell if he's joking.

Kevin says at one point ... the film played more like a trio of old coots who lost their keys instead of menacing mobsters in their prime. He does some hilarious impressions too, to drive home his point. Pretty spot-on with his versions of Pacino, Pesci and De Niro. Well, the first 2 ... he kinda phoned it in for Bobby D.

If you haven't seen it yet, the movie captures one hit man's journey from start to end, so the actors' appearances do change a lot.

Of course, the gimmick with the film is the digital de-aging technology the 3 stars were put through -- especially De Niro.

Ron Perlman was shooting a movie scene when an out-of-control truck plowed into a group of crew members -- injuring one of them -- but it sounds like it could have been a lot worse.

Sources on the scene tell TMZ ... the "Hellboy" star was on set of his upcoming film, "The Last Victim," Friday when the accident occurred. They were shooting at the Okanagan Indian Band in British Columbia.

We're told the driver of the truck mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake and accelerated past where it was supposed to stop ... sending the crew scrambling to safety. Our sources say at least one person was struck and was on the ground being tended to by others until emergency workers arrived.

As of now, it's unclear who was driving the vehicle, but according to witnesses ... Perlman was visibly shaken up afterward and seemed to be "in shock."

Law enforcement tells us police were called to the scene for a work-related accident Friday morning, and one person suffered a minor foot injury. Nobody was transported to the hospital, though ... and the incident was referred to WorkSafeBC, a workplace safety agency for the Canadian province.

WorkSafeBC tells us it's aware of the incident and an investigation is underway. It adds that it assigned one of its Prevention Officers to go to the set the following day, which was the last day of filming.

Our sources say Perlman also returned to set that day.

"The Last Victim" is a neo-western with Ron starring as the local sheriff. The movie costars Ali Larter and Ralph Ineson ... it's unclear of either of them were on hand for Friday's incident.