Movies

Clarence Gilyard, the actor who played the wisecracking computer hacker in the film, "Die Hard," has died.

Gilyard passed away after a long battle with an unspecified illness, according to media reports. His death was announced Monday by the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, where he had worked since 2006 as a Fine Arts professor.

His 30-year career in Hollywood landed him major roles in popular TV series, from the '80s and '90s ... notably, "Matlock," and "Walker, Texas Ranger." He worked with stars like Andy Griffith and Chuck Norris. He also scored his first big screen role as Sundown in "Top Gun."

Gilyard's breakout role was playing Theo in the OG "Die Hard." Theo was the sardonic tech wizard who took over a Los Angeles skyscraper with terrorists and hacked into a vault, attempting to steal $640 million in bearer bonds. In one scene, the terrorists bomb an LAPD vehicle and Theo famously cackles, "Oh my god, the quarterback is toast!"

UNLV Dean Nancy J. Uscher remembered Gilyard this way ... "It is with profound sadness that I share this news. His students were deeply inspired by him, as were all who knew him. He had many extraordinary talents and was extremely well-known in the university through his dedication to teaching and his professional accomplishments."

Uscher went on ... "His generosity of spirit was boundless - he was always ready to contribute to projects and performances however possible."

Gilyard was 66.

Eric Fleishman, AKA "Eric The Trainer," famed celebrity trainer, unexpectedly died at the age of 53 on Thanksgiving, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Fleishman passed Thursday morning at his home in Glendale, CA.

Eric served as a personal trainer to many big stars in TV, movies and the music industry, working with everyone from Def Leppard, Journey, Fall Out Boy, and Nickelback to Kirstie Alley, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Ethan Suplee and Jason Priestley, amongst many others.

Many of his celeb clients also counted Eric as a friend.

But, Fleishman didn't only work with the famous and wealthy ... he also trained the people who keep Los Angeles safe. Law enforcement.

Eric, over his 3+ decade career in fitness, also worked with LAPD, L.A. Sheriff's Academy, California Highway Patrol and numerous SWAT teams across the county.

Fleishman originally got into the business after being inspired by fitness and health pioneer, Jack Lalanne.

During COVID lockdowns, Eric gathered his famous friends and held a benefit concert that raised thousands of dollars for the Feeding America charity.

Fleishman is survived by his wife Alysia and son Henry.

Disney's newest animated movie -- which features an openly gay character -- got crushed at the box office ... and the LGBTQ crowd is worried this might've been the plan all along.

We're talking about "Strange World," which came out this weekend to abysmal ticket sale numbers -- raking in just $18.6 million over the 5-day weekend, starting Wednesday. That's well behind projections ... where 'SW' was supposed to be coming in between $30-$40 mil.

According to reports, the film is expected to end up in the red long term -- somewhere in the ballpark of at least $100 million, considering the $180M budget and marketing expenses.

It's that same marketing, however, that's got allies upset at the Mouse House ... they feel like there wasn't a peep about this flick pre-release, and that it's no wonder it tanked. In fact, some are going into conspiracy mode -- suggesting Disney was banking on a failure.

Here's the theory ... Disney could use the poor performance as rationale to not include LGBTQ characters going forward -- pointing to this new character, Ethan, as evidence to back the would-be decision. Out there, we know, but that's a legit convo taking place right now.

Of course, there's no evidence to support this ... at least not yet. Still, some are floating it anyway and think Disney was looking for an excuse for less representation on-screen.

Naturally, there's another side of this discussion -- the "Go Woke, Go Broke" faction, who've been thumping their chests about Disney's efforts to include more diversity in its characters of late ... which they think is the real reason for flops like this and 'Lightyear,' among others.

"A Christmas Story" actor Yano Anaya is no longer welcome at the iconic home from the movie ... the homeowner made that more than clear in this video of an expletive-laden tirade.

Yano, who played Grover Dill in the 1983 film, was taking photos with fans on the Cleveland-area home's front steps on November 15 when all of a sudden ... owner, Brian Jones, comes out of nowhere and starts screaming at him to get off his property and never return.

In the video, obtained by TMZ, Brian and Yano get face-to-face ... with the homeowner accusing the actor of being a scammer, loser and "piece of s**t" and claiming Yano has somehow screwed him over.

As we first reported ... the iconic home from the movie recently hit the market and Yano told us he and other 'Christmas Story' cast members were interested in getting money together to buy the famous property.

Yano's business partner Emmanuel Soba tells us they have no idea why the homeowner was so upset. He claims the actor spoke to Brian on the phone the day before the incident and says they had a great conversation.

They also claim Brian told them he would be willing to sell the home to their group, and they were taken off guard by Brian's outburst. Yano did not want to comment.

Brian has a different story though, telling us, "I apologize for the way I expressed myself; however, it was out of concern that fans could be misled into contributing to a GoFundMe campaign that will not result in the purchase of the house."

Brian went on to say, "I have no association with any GoFundMe campaign. I am not selling the house through Go Fund Me, so fans should not contribute to that fund under false pretenses, thinking their money is going toward buying the house. I am entertaining offers only from qualified buyers through my real estate broker."

Kathryn Hahn and her hubby Ethan Sandler want name changes for their 2 kids ... and it's all about giving Mama her due.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kathryn and Ethan filed a petition last week in Los Angeles ... looking to add "Hahn" as a second middle name before the last name "Sandler" for both 16-year-old Leonard and 13-year-old Mae.

Meaning the teens would now be going by Leonard Henry Hahn Sandler and Mae Marie Hahn Sandler! The couple didn't get specific about why they wanted the change for their teenagers.

Another celeb recently went through the name change process -- TMZ broke the story, Aaron Paul, whose last name is actually Sturtevant, was lookin' to officially get his last name changed to Paul a few weeks back.

Irene Cara, the singer behind huge '80s hits from "Flashdance" and "Fame" has died.

Cara passed away in her Florida home Friday, according to her rep. Details surrounding her death were not disclosed.

Irene won an Oscar for Best Original Song for "What a Feeling" -- the iconic song from "Flashdance" which made her a household name.

Irene also scored big with her monster hit, "Fame" from the movie of the same name. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Best Actress" for her work in the movie.

Cara went on to appear in other movies, including "City Heat," co-starring Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds. She also played opposite Tatum O'Neal in "Certain Fury."

In 2004, Irene was honored with a Prestige Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Her rep said, "It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara. Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films."

Irene was 63.

Celebrities like R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein are spending another Thanksgiving behind bars ... while Josh Duggar and Fetty Wap are spending the holiday in prison for the first time, but their menus are mostly traditional and plentiful.

TMZ obtained prison and jail menus from across the country -- specifically from spots where big names are locked up. Not everyone's getting turkey, but they'll all be feeling fowl!

Here's a breakdown of the Thanksgiving meals:

Duggar at FCI Seagoville:

-- Split turkey breast, baked ham, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, vegetable lasagna, veggie meatloaf, green bean casserole, rolls, holiday pies and cranberry sauce

R. Kelly at MCC Chicago:

-- Baked cornish hen, mac & cheese, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, green beans and holiday dessert

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris at FMC Lexington:

-- Glazed cornish hen, stuffed green peppers, candied yams, stuffing, mac & cheese, garlic macaroni, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and assorted fruit pies

Fetty Wap at MDC Brooklyn:

-- Herb-roasted turkey, tofu fried rice, baked candied sweet potato, mac & cheese, garlic macaroni, simmered cabbage, rolls and fruit pie

Ghislaine Maxwell at FCI Tallahassee:

-- Turkey, Tofurky, cornbread dressing, collard greens, mac & cheese, rolls, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie

Harvey Weinstein at L.A. County Jail:

-- Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, green salad, rolls, pumpkin muffins and chocolate milk

In addition to all the grub, facilities are offering a ton of activities on Thanksgiving Day.

Japanese-Canadian actor Hiro Kanagawa was 37 years old when he was cast as the stoic yet gentle and patient pet shop owner in the comedy/mockumentary and Thanksgiving classic film "Best In Show" back in 2000.

Hiro shared the big screen with a star-packed cast including Christopher Guest as Harlan Pepper, Eugene Levy as Gerry Fleck, Catherine O'Hara as Cookie Fleck, Fred Willard as Buck Laughlin and Jennifer Coolidge as Sherri Ann Cabot and countless others!

"Best In Show" was the inspo behind NBC's airing of "The National Dog Show" which started on Thanksgiving back in 2002.

Happy Turkey Day!

The iconic home from "The Goonies" appears to be changing hands ... TMZ has learned the owner already has a buyer for the property.

Our real estate sources say owner, Sandi Preston, accepted an offer Friday for the Oregon estate ... which went on the market just 5 days ago with a $1,650,000 asking price.

The Victorian-style home is 2,336 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sweeping views of the Oregon coast.

The house was built way back in 1896 in Astoria and it skyrocketed to fame after being featured in the 1985 Steven Spielberg coming-of-age film. Now, it's a mecca of sorts for movie buffs, with tons of daily visitors flocking to the property.

Sandi lived there for the past 21 years ... but we're told she's ready for the next phase of her life and decided to sell.

Leonardo DiCaprio almost dropped the ball on arguably one of his biggest roles ... according to "Titanic" director James Cameron, who says he almost showed the actor the door when he came to an audition with some serious 'tude.

James spilled it all Tuesday ... saying he asked Leo to come during the audition process to do a chemistry test with Kate Winslet -- who had already landed the part of Rose.

In a GQ interview, James claims LD thought he was just coming in to meet Kate ... but when he found out he'd be reading lines with her, he replied, "You mean I'm Reading? Oh, I don't read."

James wasn't gonna put up with the attitude, and says he told Leo he could either read with Kate or lose out on the role ... telling him, "I'm not gonna f*** it up by making the wrong decision in casting."

He says the actor begrudgingly agreed to do it, keeping things super negative ... right up until James yelled "Action." James claims Leo instantly "turned into Jack," and he knew at that point Leo was the king of the world.

As you know, this was a titular role for the actor -- launching him into a world of successful films soon after. The movie ended up winning 11 Oscars, but Leo never got a nom for his iconic performance.

The two-piece wedding suit Marilyn Monroe wore for her marriage to Joe DiMaggio is hitting the auction block ... and it's expected to fetch seven figures.

Marilyn's 'fit from the January 1954 wedding to the New York Yankees star will be offered to the public through Gotta Have Rock and Roll, and although it's one of her more conservative looks ... folks at the auction house think the winning bid will be spectacular -- somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million!

The historic clothing is a two-piece dark brown Serge wedding suit, with a white fur collar on the jacket.

Marilyn and Joe's wedding was a huge event back in the day ... and there are tons of photos and videos of them kissing while she's in the wedding suit.

And, here's a fun fact: glamorous Marilyn totally went mainstream for her big day!

Gotta Have Rock and Roll says she originally bought the suit at Macy's, and it was later gifted to the mother-in-law of her personal photog, Milton Greene.

American actor Arthur Napiontek was 21 years old when he was cast as Clark -- the ripped high school jock who comes off as smooth and confident while trying to make a move on Dale's girlfriend -- in the 2008 film "Pineapple Express."

Art shared the big screen with Seth Rogen as the lighthearted "dude" always down for a good time, Dale Denton, James Franco as the gullible, artsy guy who is into theater, Saul Silver and Amber Heard as Dale's hot blonde girlfriend who sometimes gives her boyfriend Dale a hard time, Angie Anderson.

James Winburn, the stunt double for the Michael Myers character in the original "Halloween" film, has died.

James' manager, Peter DeLorme, tells TMZ ... James died Saturday in a Los Angeles hospital after a short illness.

It sounds like a sudden health issue because we're told just about 3 weeks ago James traveled all the way to the United Kingdom for a convention.

James was in Manchester, England during the "For The Love of Horror" convention last month, and the company that put on the event says he "was an absolute pleasure to work with and shared some amazing stories with everyone over the weekend."

A veteran stunt performer, James doubled for Nick Castle's version of Michael Myers in 1978's "Halloween" ... including the famous scene at the end of the horror movie, where Dr. Loomis shoots Michael 6 times, sending Myers falling backwards over a balcony.

James also did stunt work on "The Fog" and "Escape from New York" among other films ... and even wrote and directed a handful of movies.

He was 85.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are starting their own production company that promises to put creatives first -- both in terms of less corporate red tape ... and more money long-term.

The two Hollywood titans -- who have three Oscars between the both of them, and who've starred in, written and directed countless hit films over the years -- announced Sunday they were launching something called Artists' Equity ... which speaks exactly to their goal here.

The idea behind this new enterprise is to host and cater to premier peeps in the film and TV industry -- but instead of paying 'em bank up front, the way a big studio/streamer might these days on talent-for-hire, BA and MD are taking it old-school ... with a cut of the profits.

Back in the day, pre-streaming, that was the playbook in showbiz. Actors and directors and other folks attached to a flick would often be contractually entitled to cash after the fact based on how well something did at the box office. If a movie crushed over time, it could mean more moolah than a one-time payout -- high as it may seem at first -- which is SOP now.

Ben and Matt wanna bring that back, with BA explaining to the NYT ... "As streamers have proliferated, they have really ended back-end participation, and so this is partly an effort to try to recapture some of that value and share it in a way that’s more equitable." He went on to add, "Not just writers and directors and stars. But also cinematographers, editors, costume designers and other crucial artists who, in my view, are very underpaid."

Artists' Equity also aims to do what big studios can't ... getting out of the way, and letting creatives have actual ownership/control of their vision without all the politics that tend to hinder production, sometimes for the worst. At AE, Ben and Matt are adopting laissez-faire.

It's a neat idea ... and it's not just a pipe dream either. Matt and Ben have secured at least $100 million in initial financing from RedBird Capital Partners -- plus an undisclosed amount of dough from their own pockets. Ben says he's going to lend his services exclusively to Artists' Equity going forward. Matt's committed to a handful of films as well.

Quentin Tarantino says he wishes he would've confronted his longtime collaborator Harvey Weinstein -- especially in the wake of the criminal allegations that have surfaced.

The director was grilled by Chris Wallace on his CNN show Friday night ... getting asked why he didn't do more to protect women in HW's orbit if he was, in fact, aware of the film producer's behavior -- something Tarantino has alluded to in recent years.

QT clarified that while he had heard things about Weinstein ... he insists he was never privy to anything regarding rape or sexual assault -- which, among other things, has been alleged against the ex-movie mogul by a lot of women ... dating back to the '90s.

Tarantino says his understanding of Weinstein's alleged MO was comparable to something from "Mad Men" -- AKA, office bosses chasing their secretaries around the desk and trying to get handsy. This is the characterization Tarantino says was communicated to him back then. He notes, yes, this was still wrong ... but denies knowledge of anything more serious.

Wallace asks if he has any regrets, and Tarantino says he does -- not about working with HW, though, but not confronting him about his supposed playful skirt-chasing. The reason Tarantino says he didn't talk to him about it is because he thought it was pathetic ... and didn't want to approach his friend, who was also kinda his boss, about something so juvenile.

Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are pressing pause on their relationship ... TMZ has confirmed.

Harry and Olivia are "taking a break" from dating after nearly 2 years together, according to People, citing Harry's busy touring schedule and Olivia's family obligations and work in Hollywood.

HS and OW were first linked back in January 2021, when they were photographed holding hands at a friend's wedding ... at the same time they were filming "Don't Worry Darling."

Harry's tour, which Olivia witnessed in person, is now going overseas ... and Olivia's reportedly hanging back in Los Angeles, working on projects and spending time with the children she shares with Jason Sudeikis.

As we've reported, Harry and Olivia's relationship was not lacking in drama ... Olivia and Jason's ex-nanny claimed Olivia gave up her dog within weeks of meeting Harry, allegedly so she could free up time to spend with the singer.

There was also a ton of rumored drama on the set of "Don't Worry Darling" as a result of Harry and Olivia's romance, with Olivia reportedly going missing often with Harry. She was directing the film and he was starring in it.