Movies

Alabama players could be channeling their inner Liam Neeson when they take the field Monday ... 'cause the whole team got a private screening of the Hollywood badass' newest flick the night before the big game!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Nick Saban and his #1-ranked Crimson Tide got in some team bonding before taking on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship ... hitting up a Miami theater to catch a viewing of "The Marksman."

Now, the film isn't due in theaters until Jan. 15 -- but when you're playing for a title, you can pull some strings.

We're told Tide players are actually HUGE Neeson fans ... and even watched his 2020 movie "Honest Thief" together earlier this season.

This time around, the Tide got to check out Neeson's character fight off cartel assassins as he helps a young boy escape to safety in America. Sounds intense, right??

Tanya Roberts' longtime partner is planning a celebration of her life, but before that, he plans to honor her in an L.A. location near and dear to her heart.

Lance O'Brien tells TMZ ... the late model and actress is going to be cremated, and he's going to spread her ashes in the hills behind their home in Laurel Canyon, where she used to hike regularly with her dogs.

Lance says Tanya would go on a 4-mile hike with her 2 beloved pooches 5 times a week, and he adds ... they're very much missing their mom.

Tanya's partner tells us it's been an incredibly difficult week, but he's trying to work out plans with her family and friends for a memorial service, or some other way to pay tribute to her.

We broke the story ... the actress best known for "That '70s Show" and "Charlie's Angels" died Monday night, potentially from a UTI that spread to her kidneys and liver.

News of her death was bizarrely announced prematurely a day earlier though, the result of what seemed to be a major miscommunication between Lance and Tanya's rep after Lance visited her at the hospital Sunday night.

The way he described it ... she was unresponsive on a ventilator, but he thought she woke up when he arrived in her room.

Deezer D, best known for his role as nurse Malik McGrath on "ER" has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actor, whose real name was Dearon Thompson, was found unresponsive at home Thursday morning in Los Angeles. His brother, Marshawn, tells us the family believes he died of a heart attack, but there is not yet an official cause of death.

The actor underwent major heart surgery in 2009 -- a 6-hour procedure to replace his aorta and fix a leaky heart valve.

Deezer D appeared on almost 200 episodes of ER from 1994 through 2009. Not only was Thompson an actor, but he was also a motivational speaker and a performer in the Christian and underground hip hop communities.

Thompson also had a role in 'Romy and Michele' and was known for his roles in the films "CB4" and "Fear of a Black Hat."

He was 55.

Tanya Roberts' feared she had contracted COVID-19 before collapsing at home ... but doctors believe a serious infection -- not COVID -- is what killed the actress.

The late actress's partner, Lance O'Brien, tells TMZ ... Tanya said she felt short of breath, tired and had tightness in her stomach just days before her collapse on Christmas Eve. Lance says when Tanya collapsed he helped her up ... and realized she had virtually no strength. An ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital, giving her oxygen along the way and helping her to regain consciousness.

Once Tanya was hospitalized, Lance says her condition quickly deteriorated -- which Lance himself recounted on camera Tuesday. BTW, we're told she was tested for COVID several times while in the hospital, but all of the tests came back negative.

So the question remains ... what could have taken her life so quickly? Lance tells us that doctors informed him it might be related to a UTI that spread to her kidneys and liver. We're told Tanya also had Hepatitis C, and doctors told Lance that was causing complications as well.

An autopsy has yet to be performed. Tanya was 65.

Tanya Roberts' longtime partner says he was distraught and confused during his final moments with her ... which may explain why he prematurely told folks she had died.

Lance O'Brien told a photog Tuesday ... when he visited her Sunday at the hospital she was in bad shape -- unresponsive on a ventilator -- but he says when he told her he was there, she sat up and opened her eyes.

This led him to believe she was responding, but he says hospital staff told him it was just a reflex ... and she was "out" shortly afterward. Lance tells us he was beside himself, so he got in the elevator and left.

Lance says Tanya's rep Mike Pingel -- who's driving Lance in this video -- picked him up from the hospital and asked what happened ... and this might help explain her bizarre premature death announcement.

He tells us he responded, "I just said goodbye to Tanya," and that was it ... then he went home and fell asleep, only to wake up later to phone calls about her passing.

Lance seems to be suggesting Mike interpreted his statement as proof Tanya had died, though Pingel also says Lance told him ... "She died in my arms."

Either way, it makes sense in wake of a devastating, tragic moment that there could be a communication breakdown ... and Lance says the ordeal was made all the more difficult due to COVID.

Lance also tells us Tanya had her initial health scare on December 23 -- not Christmas Eve -- but he thought it was just a blood sugar issue and she would be fine.

We broke the story ... Tanya died Monday night at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Despite the strange story involving her death, she'll be remembered for her long and successful career as a model and actress ... most recently for starring on "That '70s Show" as Midge.

Tanya was 65.

Tyler Perry wanted to vote in the Georgia runoff THIS BAD ... he hopped on a jet and flew all the way to Georgia to cast his ballot in person ... because his absentee ballot never showed up.

Tyler says he waited and waited for more than a month for his absentee ballot, but for some reason it never came. Tyler was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so he hopped on his jet and flew to the Peach State so his voice could be heard, along with more than 3 million others who cast ballots.

Tyler got his prize ... the "I voted" sticker which he proudly displayed.

He raised the issue Monday, asking Georgians ... "Hey Georgia, Is anyone else having this problem? I ordered my absentee ballot on December 2nd. I’m told it was mailed on the 4th. I still don’t have it!" Stacey Abrams responded to him, and Tyler answered back.

He replied, "Hey @staceyabrams, I flew home because I didn’t get it. I will be there early in the morning. Too important to miss. Too important to miss!"

What's unclear ... how many other Georgians didn't get their ballot. It's also unclear why this is happening.

Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are a couple, and the reason we know this is that they were at a wedding over the weekend holding hands and very much together.

Harry was invited to a small wedding in Montecito, CA near Santa Barbara for the wedding of his manager, Jeffrey Azoff. There were only 16 people present, and it was specifically limited to ensure everyone was safe from the virus.

Harry brought Olivia as his plus one, we're told, and they were holding hands during the event.

Harry actually officiated the wedding for Jeffrey and his bride Glenne Christiaansen, who works for Apple Music.

Harry and Olivia, who is directing Harry in the upcoming movie, "Don't Worry Darling," stayed at the San Ysidro Ranch, also in Montecito.

Tanya Roberts -- a one-time Bond girl and cult classic '80s star -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Tanya's rep tells TMZ, she was on a walk with her dogs on Christmas Eve and when she returned home she collapsed. She was taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator but never got better. We're told it was NOT COVID-related. Tanya died Sunday.

In the days leading up to her collapse, we're told Tanya appeared perfectly healthy ... even doing video chats for her fans.

Tanya was a go-to model and actress in her heyday -- so much so, she even appeared as one of the Bond girls, Stacey Sutton, in "A View to a Kill," opposite Roger Moore.

She also starred in campy adventure fantasy flicks like "Sheena" and "The Beastmaster," plus a bunch of raunchy comedies, slashers movies and action/erotica B-films like "Sins of Desire," "Legal Tender," "Deep Down," "Inner Sanctum," "Night Eyes," "Almost Pregnant," "Favorite Deadly Sins" and "Tourist Trap," plus several others. All-in-all, she has 41 acting credits to her name dating back to '70s.

Speaking of that era, she might best remembered as Donna Pinciotti's mom, Midge, on "That '70s Show" -- who was always getting ogled by the boys in the neighborhood. Tanya was portrayed as a dumb blonde, who eventually left her TV family and the show entirely to deal with her hubby's real-life illness.

Tanya also had a year-long stint on the old "Charlie's Angels" show, in which she played Julie Rogers ... a side character who helped the Angels solve crimes. She also helped launch the TV series 'Mike Hammer' after starring as a secretary in the made-for-TV movie, but declined a part in the show that followed.

Of course, Tanya was also a successful model. She'd posed for Playboy, as well as for a ton of TV commercials. She did ads for Excedrin, Ultra Brite, Clairol and Cool Ray sunglasses.

She was married to Barry Roberts for several years before his death in 2006. They didn't have any children. Tanya is survived by her current husband, Lance, and her sister Barbara Chase.

She was 65.

RIP

Zoë Kravitz has filed for divorce ... just 18 months after she married Karl Glusman.

Zoë filed for divorce 2 days before Christmas ... this according to PEOPLE.

It's a stunning turn ... just this past summer they celebrated their 1-year wedding anniversary, posting a pic from their wedding day.

The 2 started dating in late 2016, and it became quite the thing. When they married in June 2019 at her father, Lenny Kravitz's Paris home, it became a coveted invite, for the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Denzel Washington, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, Chris Pine, Cara Delevigne and Marisa Tomei.

As you know both are actors ... Zoë, stars in "Big Little Lies," and Karl's in "Nocturnal Animals."

Louis Gossett, Jr. can tell you how bad COVID is ... he has it, was hospitalized for it, but left because it's a s*** show inside.

Sources connected to the Oscar-winning actor tell TMZ ... the 84-year-old tested positive and was so sick he couldn't even stand. He was taken to a Georgia-area hospital, where he stayed for just a couple days before bolting. We're told he was put in an area with all the other COVID patients, and the wave of deaths freaked him out.

Hospital staff begged him to stay -- given his age and underlying conditions including cancer -- but Louis was determined to leave, and he did. He checked out Tuesday.

Louis -- best known his award-winning roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and on "Roots" -- tells TMZ and everyone else, "Please wear masks, social distance, isolate, pray and listen within. We cannot survive without one another."

Louis is now at home with his son ... and he is isolating.

New York City native Rachel Ticotin shot to stardom in in the early '90s after she took on the role of the martian-based sidekick, Melina -- who helps Douglas Quaid defeat Vilos Cohaagen from blowing up Mars -- in the 1990 spacey action film "Total Recall."

Rachel Ticotin starred in the high-budget film alongside Sharon Stone as the double-crossing wife, Lori Quaid, Ronny Cox as the evil governor, Vilos Cohaagen ... and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the butt-kicking, Douglas Quaid.

Ticotin can also be spotted in the 1997 film, "Con Air," and on the first season of "Law & Order: LA."

Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quiñones, the famous breakdancer and star of the 1984 movie, "Breakin'," has died.

Shabba-Doo's family announced his sudden passing in L.A. Wednesday, only a day after he had posted an image of himself in bed, saying he was feeling sluggish but had tested negative for COVID-19.

So far, no cause of death has been announced. Law enforcement sources tell us it appears a roommate found Shabba unconscious Wednesday night, and there were no signs of foul play.

His sister said goodbye in a heartfelt social media post, saying ... "My Heart is Broken apart we look alike and DANCE ALIKE MY HEART WILL NEVER BE THE SAME IT HURTS!"

Shabba-Doo rose to fame back in the '80s, becoming one of the most well-known and legendary breakdancers on the West Coast. He instantly became a heartthrob and sex symbol after starring in "Breakin'" and "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo."

In addition to his work on the big screen, Shabba Doo also choreographed and appeared in Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" music video

Shabba-Doo was born in Chicago before making it big out West. He was a member of Toni Basil's iconic street dance crew The Lockers. Toni also posted about his sudden death.

Shabba was married twice. His first marriage was to Gwendolyn Powell, and after they divorced in 1982 he married Lela Rochon. who he divorced 5 years later.

He's survived by his daughter and son.

Shabba-Doo was 65.

Principal Joe Louis Clark, whose tough-as-nails approach was the subject of the movie "Lean on Me," has died.

Joe's family says he passed away Tuesday at home in Gainesville, FL after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. He was surrounded by family members, but will also be mourned by hundreds, if not thousands, of graduates from his time as a legendary principal in Northern New Jersey.

Morgan Freeman played Joe in the 1989 film which chronicled his hard-nosed efforts to improve Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ. The school was described as crime and drug-ridden when Joe took over as principal there in 1983.

The former Army Reserve sergeant and drill instructor took no crap from the student body, and once expelled 300 kids in one day for fighting, vandalism, abusing teachers and drugs.

The image of Joe roaming school hallways with a bullhorn and baseball bat wasn't just something Hollywood cooked up for Freeman's role ... it's how Joe rolled in real life.

His style earned him national headlines and made him controversial ... critics felt he was way too aggressive, but his admirers pointed to positive results at the school.

Joe was 82.

Logan Paul's reckless filming of a dead body hanging in a Japanese forest torpedoed a movie he was signed on to star in, and it cost the production company millions ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Planeless Pictures just filed suit against the YouTuber, claiming they inked a deal with him in 2016 to make a movie -- starring Logan as a fictionalized version of himself -- called "Airplane Mode," which was supposed to be a spoof on modern-day trend-setters, like the Paul brothers and other social media folks.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Planeless claims they were all set to have Logan star in, write and help produce the flick, and he'd agreed to help get other influencers on board as well, including Jake Paul, Juanpa Zurita, Nick Bateman, Amanda Cerny and others. The idea was that they'd distribute it through YouTube and other social media platforms -- via said influencers' pages -- in a new, revolutionary way to market and monetize the film.

Planeless even says Google inked a $3 million licensing deal with them for the movie -- but they claim it all came crashing down when Logan foolishly filmed himself in Aokigahara, Japan (otherwise known as the "suicide forest"), where he documented the hanging death of a man up close. You know what happened after that on his end, but according to Planeless' claim, they say his boneheaded move completely destroyed the movie deal.

Actor Noah Jupe is super fond of three-letter connections ... as in HBO = ATM.

The kid, fresh off nailing the role of Henry on the HBO hit, "The Undoing," is back to work for the network again ... this time starring in the HBO Max film, "No Sudden Move." The cast is not too shabby ... with the likes of Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro and David Harbour, and it's being directed by Steven Soderbergh no less.

Noah's clearly not intimidated by Hollywood giants ... Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant played his parents in "The Undoing." And, once again, he's getting paid handsomely ... around $840k total, plus a bunch of perks.

In the minor's contract that was filed with the court, the 15-year-old gets 2 roundtrip business class tickets for him and a family member, a 3-bedroom apartment during filming and a daily $100 per diem. They're the same perks he got for "The Undoing."

As for the flick ... it's a heist thriller set in 1950s Detroit. The film -- first working title "Kill Switch" -- once included George Clooney before he had to drop out. Ray Liotta and Jon Hamm are also in the cast.

Los Angeles-based martial artist Taimak Guarriello (or better known as just Taimak) was in his early 20s when he took on the role of the quick-kicking Leroy Green aka Bruce Leeroy -- who takes on thugs with his bare hands and harnesses "The Glow" to defeat Sho'nuff -- in Berry Gordy's 1985 martial arts masterpiece "The Last Dragon."

Taimak was joined in the cult classic by actors like Denise Katherine Matthews (aka Vanity) as the rockin' star, Laura Charles, Christopher Murney as the evil arcade owner, Eddie Arkadian ... and of course Julius Carry as the meanest, the prettiest, the baddest mofo low down around this town, Sho'nuff.