Movies

Hugh Keays-Byrne -- the actor who impressively played the bad guy in both the original "Mad Max" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" 36 years later -- has died.

Filmmaker Ted Geoghegan announced the Australian actor's passing and hailed him as "an unsung hero of Aussie cinema" -- adding he's "continually floored" Hugh played the main villain in both 'Mad Max' movies.

It's true -- Hugh became famous for starring opposite Mel Gibson in the 1979 film as the central antagonist, Toecutter ... then returned to face off against Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy as Immortan Joe in 2015.

As you'd imagine ... he's the only actor to appear in both flicks, and he and director George Miller had a very good working relationship over the decades. Miller also cast Hugh in the scrapped DC movie, "Justice League: Mortal."

That's not all he's known for though -- Keays-Byrne also starred in several British and Australian projects, including "Stone," "The Chain Reaction" and "Resistance."

He had more than 50 acting credits to his name spanning nearly 5 decades.

So far, Hugh's cause of death is unknown. He was 73.

Rafer Johnson -- a decorated Olympian and American hero -- has died, TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was 86.

Johnson passed away Wednesday morning at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA surrounded by his family.

Johnson lived such an amazing life as an athlete, actor, philanthropist and hero -- it's hard to pick where to start when telling his story ...

How about this ... he was one of the brave men who tackled and subdued gunman Sirhan Sirhan seconds after Robert Kennedy was assassinated back in 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in L.A.

In fact, Johnson ripped the gun away from Sirhan and hid it in his own pocket to prevent any more violence.

As an athlete, Rafer won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympics in Rome ... four years after he won silver in the same event at the 1956 Olympic Games.

He was a 2-sport athlete at UCLA -- running track and playing basketball.

And get this ... he was such an insane athlete, the L.A. Rams selected him in the 28th round of the 1959 NFL Draft as a running back despite never playing a single down of college football!

After his storied career as an athlete, Johnson became an actor -- appearing in a bunch of movies including "Wild in the Country" with Elvis Presley, "Pirates of Tortuga" and even the 1989 James Bond flick, "A License to Kill."

Rafer was also a key figure in launching the Special Olympics in 1968 -- and co-founded the California Special Olympics in 1969.

Johnson served on the CSO board of directors for 2 decades before joining the Board of Governors.

Oh, and he also worked for the Peace Corps!

Johnson married his wife Betsy in 1971 and they had 2 children together -- daughter Jennifer Ann Johnson and son Joshua Ray Johnson.

Both kids were also star athletes at UCLA!

For those interested in making a donation in Rafer's honor, the family asks to go through The Special Olympics Southern California Rafer Johnson Tribute Fund -- which can be accessed here.

Irene Bedard, the actor who voiced Pocahontas in the Disney film, is way too familiar with the back of a police car after what cops call 2 wildly-drunken incidents over 3 days.

Her first arrest went down at Irene's ex-husband's house in Beavercreek, OH -- where cops responded to a possible domestic violence situation on Friday night. According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, officers found the actress with a belt in her hand.

Police claim Irene, who is Native American, said something to the effect of, "Look, they sent the white man to come get me!" The report also says she appeared incredibly intoxicated, reeked of booze and had trouble standing straight.

Her ex told cops Irene showed up pounding on his door and when he let her in, she started yelling at their 17-year-old son ... and allegedly kicked him as he tried to restrain her. Cops claim that continued as she kicked and screamed while they tried to get her into their cruiser.

BPD notes her son didn't want to press charges and just wanted his mom to get help -- but they took her to the station and booked her for domestic violence, assault and resisting arrest.

She posted bond ... but a few days later, on Monday, Irene was arrested again when Beavercreek PD was summoned to a hotel where Irene was allegedly harassing the front desk clerk.

The officer on that case says he tried talking Irene down, but again she appeared wasted and was combative. So much so, he claims she charged at him, and he had to pin her down to cuff her. Cops also say it took several officers to drag her into jail.

The second time around, Irene was only booked for disorderly conduct before she was released, once again, without bail.

Steven Spielberg just got court-ordered protection from a woman he believes is threatening to murder him.

The famed movie mogul filed legal docs seeking a restraining order against a woman named Sarah Char, who he claims has been harassing him for months and sending death threats.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Steven says law enforcement told him the woman tried to purchase a gun to kill him. He claims she's been arrested for criminal threats, harassment and stalking.

According to the docs, Steven says he got a Twitter message from Char saying ... "If I have to personally MURDER people for stealing my IPs‚ I WILL. Get me?"

Steven says he's scared the woman will follow through with her threats, and he says he's concerned for his family too.

"Juno" and "Umbrella Academy" star Elliot Page is coming out as trans ... he shared his truth Tuesday morning, saying he's finally loving himself enough to pursue his "authentic self."

Elliot says folks in the trans community inspired him to come out, and he's pledging to support them and try and make our society more loving and equal.

While Elliot, formerly known as Ellen, says he's happy to come out as trans, he says he's also scared ... because of the invasiveness, hate, jokes and violence that too often happen to the trans community.

Elliot addresses the threats facing the trans community head-on, saying he will do everything he can to take on the "harassment, self-loathing, abuse and threat of violence every day." He takes a pointed shot at "political leaders" who've attacked the trans community. Although Elliot doesn't name names ... in the past, he's been vocally critical of Vice President Mike Pence.

Child actor, Justin Scheller, was only 5 years old when he took on the life-changing role of the annoying little Stilwell -- who tormented the bus driver and Rockford Peaches squad -- in the classic 1992 baseball comedy, "A League Of Their Own."

Scheller was cast alongside a major league lineup of actors including Madonna as the fast-paced centerfielder, "All The Way" Mae, Rosie O'Donnell as the 3rd base boss, Doris Murphy, Geena Davis as the catching captain, Dottie Hinson ... and of course Tom Hanks as the callus coach, Jimmy Dugan.

Justin left the biz after his iconic role and now lives a relaxed life in the Midwest.

Dave Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in 'Star Wars,' has died.

Dave's agent, Thomas Bowington, said ..."It’s with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and millions of fans around the world, to announce that our client Dave Prowse MBE has passed away at the age of 85.”

Dave played the iconic villain in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy.

Prowse was born in 1935 in Bristol, England. Before acting, he was immersed in the world of bodybuilding, even competing in Mr. Universe competitions. He was so strong, Jack the Ripper -- that was Dave's stage name -- would shred phone books as a test of strength.

Even in his bodybuilding days, he hung out with famous folks, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. He also trained Christopher Reeve for "Superman."

Dave's shining moment was shrouded in costume ... playing Darth Vader in the 'Star Wars' franchise. He was recruited by George Lucas, because he was a well-known bodybuilder and he had seen him in 'Clockwork Orange' and it seemed to fit the vibe. Dave actually auditioned for the roles of both Darth Vader and Chewbacca. Lucas offered him either role.

When asked why Dave chose the role of DV, Dave said, "Everyone remembers the villain." True that.

There was a problem, however -- Dave's British accent. His voice was dubbed over by James Earl Jones in post-production.

He almost instantly became an iconic figure when the first 'Star Wars' hit in 1977.

In addition to 'Star Wars,' Dave appeared in "The Saint," "Doctor Who," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "A Clockwork Orange" and a bunch of horror films.

Dave said back in 2014, “Many people will know me for being the ultimate screen villain, Star Wars’ Darth Vader. But being a “goodie goodie” and heading up the Green Cross Code campaign, helping to save thousands of lives has always been the ultimate honour.”

Dave was married for 57 years to Norma Scammell and had 3 kids. He was 85.

RIP

Darth Vader -- or his head, rather -- was taken away by the dark side yet again, but cops stepped in to save the day ... TMZ has learned. No Jedis required.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... 38-year-old Frank Hebert was arrested Monday night after he allegedly broke into the Bad Robot Productions building in Santa Monica and made off with 'Star Wars' movie memorabilia ... including Darth's helmet.

We're told cops responded to the scene and were told by security personnel that Hebert had been captured on surveillance video illegally entering the building through the rooftop, and casually walked out with a shopping cart full of stuff.

Our sources say cops quickly found a guy pushing a cart down the street not too far away, which we're told was full of 'Star Wars' stuff -- as in, original props used in the actual movies.

Cops say underneath a mountain of 'Star Wars' pillows, there were 2 helmets ... Darth's iconic black one and a Storm Trooper one too. They arrested him, and Hebert was booked for felony non-residential burglary. He posed for this mug shot heading in.

The summer day camp that Jennifer Lawrence's family runs on a farm in Kentucky was struck by a massive fire -- and her brother is asking for help to recoup what they lost ... which was quite a bit.

Camp Hi-Ho in Simpsonville was engulfed in flames late Friday night -- with their main barn on the property being reduced to rubble and ashes. The barn served as a sanctuary for a number of activities and attractions the Lawrences put on for kids each summer ... not to mention living and workspaces they themselves used.

TMZ has obtained an email that J. Law's brother -- owner and director of Camp Hi-Ho, Blaine Lawrence -- sent to parents of campers past ... and it details exactly what was destroyed in the fire, which was a lot more than just a mere barn.

He writes that the barn housed an office space he used, plus a separate apartment the Lawrences often utilized personally. Not only that, but it encompassed the stalls for their horses, the indoor riding area for kids, an indoor rock wall they had, a native wildlife display center, an arts and crafts pavilion, a garage loaded with farm equipment a new nurse station ... and more. All of that is gone.

Thankfully, Blaine says there's still a lot that wasn't taken in the fire -- including their outdoor sports court, their tree fort space, their pet barn, the lake area, the archery range, the animal pastures and outdoor horse-riding trails, a hen house and other campsites.

While Blaine is thankful to still have those parts of the camp intact -- on top of not losing a single animal or human life -- he notes that he and the family are still devastated. On that note, he vows to rebuild and open again for summer 2021.

Blaine also asks for community donations via a fundraiser or a 501(c)(3), and for families to sign up and come back to camp, noting he'll do whatever is in his power to make the place like new. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

George Clooney's been on the DIY-haircut hype long before the pandemic hit -- but he's resorted to what many consider a gimmick product to do it ... and he's been doing it for decades!!!

The actor made the revelation on CBS Sunday Morning -- he told Tracy Smith he's been using Flowbee for quite a while now. So all those dreamy Clooney 'dos you've seen of late ... all Flowbee.

If you're unfamiliar with what the hell that is ... it's a hair cutting device that's been getting hawked on infomercials since the late '80s. Flowbee is part hair clippers and part vacuum -- all you do is run it along your head, and presto!

It might look pretty damn goofy, but hey ... it works, according to George, anyway. And, the best part -- it's only 4 easy payments of $9.99 (prices subject to inflation).

In all seriousness, folks are shocked that George's great looks -- much of which can be attributed to his haircuts -- are the result of a device like Flowbee. You'd think the guy would be spending $200 to $300 per cut at some exclusive stylist in Italy, but no ... he does it himself and gets the job done in 2 minutes.

Funny enough, the Twitter account for George's new movie -- "The Midnight Sky" -- got in on the joke and dropped some Flowbee insight of their own ... writing they could neither confirm nor deny the use of Flowbee on the set.

Chadwick Boseman would have turned 44 this weekend, and to honor the late actor ... Disney worked a tribute into the opening of his landmark film with them.

Starting Sunday morning, "Black Panther" on Disney+ featured a new opening credits sequence which shows off the Marvel logo ... something done in all Marvel movies. Only now, when you watch 'BP,' you'll see Chadwick's face all over it.

Marvel posted the new opening credits for "Black Panther," and captioned it ... "Long live the King. #WakandaForever." There's photos and footage of Chadwick also embedded into the Marvel logo artwork, both from the film and in real life.

Disney honcho Bob Iger teased the new change in a tweet Saturday, saying that if you watched "Black Panther" late that night on their streaming service ... you'd see a surprise in honor of Chadwick's 44th birthday, whom they loved.

As we reported ... Chadwick died earlier this year from colon cancer -- an ailment he was battling privately and which really didn't come to light until he had passed.

The tributes have poured in from all over since then -- taking the form of creative art pieces, murals, tattoos, re-worked comic books, proposed statues ... and even action figure wakes that kids themselves put on to pay their respects.

Safe to say ... the remembrances will continue, as they should.

It's a mystery shrouded in a mystery ... the monolith has disappeared.

The shiny metal, which was adorned a remote area of Utah, is there no more ... according to Utah officials.

All they would say is that it was removed Friday evening, but they don't know who did it.

The monolith was planted on land managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management.

Here's what the officials said ... "We have received credible reports that the illegally installed structure, referred to as the “monolith” has been removed from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands by an unknown party. The BLM did not remove the structure which is considered private property. We do not investigate crimes involving private property which are handled by the local sheriff’s office. The structure has received international and national attention and we received reports that a person or group removed it on the evening of Nov. 27.”

It seems someone used a concrete-cutting tool to remove the monolith. Removing it must have been a bitch, because it was buried deep in the ground.

The Bureau of Land Management said it would NOT be investigating the circumstances surrounding its removal -- it's leaving it up to the local sheriff.

Sean Connery died in his sleep from pneumonia, heart failure and old age ... according to his death certificate.

TMZ obtained Connery's death cert and it shows he died from respiratory failure as a result of pneumonia, old age and atrial fibrillation ... an irregular heart rate that can increase the risk of strokes, heart failure and other heart-related complications.

The doc shows he died on October 31 at 1:30 AM at his home in the Bahamas. His occupation is listed as a retired actor. As we reported ... Sean's wife, Micheline Roquebrune, said Sean died peacefully in his sleep. He was 90.

Sean, of course, became a huge star in 1962 after "Dr. No" was released. He went on to star in 7 Bond films between 1962 and 1983 -- "From Russia with Love," "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "Diamonds are Forever," and "Never Say Never Again."

He also starred in "The Hunt for Red October," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "The Rock."

West Coast actress Suzanne Snyder was in her early 20s when she landed the role as the high school hottie and nerd crush Deb -- who ditches the jocks and falls for the dweebs after their abduction by the biker gang -- in the classic '80s comedy "Weird Science."

Snyder was cast alongside some big names in the teen flick including Robert Downey Jr. as the slushy-spilling bully, Ian, Anthony Michael Hall as the loser virgin, Gary ... and of course Kelly LeBrock as the computer-created super babe, Lisa.

NBA star Markelle Fultz is taking Wakanda Forever literally ... he just got a foot-long image of the Black Panther tattooed on his thigh -- and it's AMAZING!!

TMZ Sports has learned back in the summer, Fultz hit up "Ink Master" star Roly T-Rex about getting some ink done.

And, with Chadwick Boseman's death and the Black Lives Matter movement at its peak ... the two got to thinking a "Black Panther" piece would be perfect.

According to Roly T-Rex, the artwork -- featuring a stern Black Panther surrounded by lightning -- embodied BLM's message and paid tribute to the late Boseman ... so Fultz was all about it.

The Orlando Magic star was able to sit for the needle sesh this week ... and Roly tells us everything went great.

The piece -- which is about 12-13 inches tall -- took roughly five hours to complete ... and Roly says Fultz was "ecstatic" at its finished result.

"He loved it, man," said Roly, who also does tattoo work for Fultz's Magic teammate, Aaron Gordon. "He loves the tat."

Looks like Michael B. Jordan and his new sexiest man alive crown will be breaking bread with Lori Harvey ... 'cause they arrived together in her hometown just in time for turkey.

Lori and the 'Black Panther' star touched down in Atlanta Wednesday onboard a Delta flight from L.A., but it looks like they got the celeb treatment, as they exited down a staircase to the tarmac. No crowded jetways for this duo.

They both had their face masks on and hoodies up, but photogs saw enough of their faces to know it's them. Lori does live in the ATL, so makes sense they'd head there on Thanksgiving eve.

They threw their luggage in a waiting car and rolled away together ... leaving us all to wonder if Michael and Lori are a hot new couple.

This is the first time the celebs have been linked together one-on-one like this -- there were reports they crossed paths at Nobu earlier this year while in a large group of friends. Lori was still with Future back then, but he's been out of the picture since August.