RIP

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

Lil Yase -- an up-and-coming Bay Area rapper -- was shot and killed this weekend in what amounts to a mysterious murder with no explanation thus far ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Yase tell us ... he was, indeed, shot early Saturday morning -- and his body was discovered somewhere in the southern section of the East Bay ... which is miles away from where he was last seen.

Our sources tell us Yase was hanging out with his crew late Friday night at a recording studio in Marin County -- slightly north of San Francisco -- and left on his own at one point around 11:30 or midnight, telling his buddies he'd be right back.

We're told no more than an hour and a half later, word came in that Yase had been shot dead somewhere in the East Bay -- which is damn near an hour away by freeway, depending on what part of town you head to down there.

We're told folks in Yase's inner circle are dumbfounded -- as he had no known enemies and had done nothing they can see leading to something like this. Our sources say Yase might've played tough in his music, but in reality ... all he was really about was rapping, promoting his label (Highway 420 Productions) and labelmates, and gaming. That's it ... he had no beef with anyone anywhere, we're told.

He had just posted a photo of himself on Friday, showing his Thanksgiving festivities ... with a caption that read, "If my n**** trippin den I’m trippin it’s up wit UNK😤😈 #HappyThanksGivin🦃" It's his last post on IG -- and has since gotten tons of tributes from fellow artists in the Bay Area and beyond in the comments.

Yase started releasing music as young as 18 years old, but truly burst onto the scene with his single "Get It In" in 2015 -- which he went on to create a remix of that garnered even more national attention the following year.

He released a string of hits that racked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube over the years -- including songs like "No Diss," "Demon," "What You Mean," "Yeah Yeah," "Furl," "Bum B****," "Mad," "Workin" and many others.

Yase collaborated with artists such as Yalla, A.B. Milli, Cash Kidd, G-Val, That Boy Tyson, Stunna June, IamSu!, Shoreline Mafia and several other musicians, both local and otherwise.

We've reached out to Alameda County to confirm Yase's body is in their possession, and if any suspects have been apprehended -- so far ... no word back.

Lil Yase -- a Sunnydale native -- was only 26 years old. RIP

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.

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."

Soccer legend Diego Maradona did not have to die because he's the victim of "criminal idiocy" ... so claims his lawyer.

Attorney Matias Morla says it took upwards of a half-hour for an ambulance to arrive at Diego's Buenos Aires home Wednesday ... where he had suffered a heart attack.

Prosecutors appear to be looking into the lapse as well, although it's unclear why. There's been no allegation of foul play.

Diego, arguably the best soccer player that ever lived, underwent brain surgery earlier this month to remove a blood clot. It's unclear if the heart attack was in any way connected.

A funeral worker tasked with preparing Diego Maradona's body for the soccer legend's wake is out of a job ... after posing with the body for a disgusting selfie.

The funeral worker allegedly crept up to Maradona's open coffin and gave a thumbs up in the selfie ... sparking outrage from the owner of the Buenos Aires funeral parlor who promptly fired the guy.

The English tabloid Mirror Sport, which first reported the story, obtained the photo but opted not to post it on its website. As we reported ... the soccer legend died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was recovering from emergency brain surgery earlier this month.

As mourners paid their respects around the world with touching tributes ... all hell broke loose Thursday in his native country where violence erupted as thousands of mourners tried to force their way into the presidential palace where Maradona is lying in state.

Cops tried stopping folks from entering the building following orders from the family. Fans clashed with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control the violent crowd.

Alex Trebek left a Thanksgiving message behind ... a message of faith and hope as he valiantly fought his battle with cancer.

As we reported, Alex filmed his show almost to the end -- he was hosting "Jeopardy!" just 10 days before he died, and one of his final acts was to record a message that will air on Thanksgiving day.

The folks at "Jeopardy!" are eternally grateful ... the show's twitter page has a new post which reads, "High on our list of things to be thankful for this year:  Alex's Thanksgiving message from today's show."

Alex, whose voice was raspy and was suffering from the pain and exhaustion of stage 4 pancreatic cancer, tried to comfort viewers, telling them there are "many reasons to be thankful."  His optimism shone through, talking about the various acts of kindness that have emerged from COVID times.

His message -- "Keep the faith. We're going to get through all of this, and we will be a better society because of it."

Producers earlier aired another posthumous message from Alex, recognizing World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

TMZ broke the story ... Alex died earlier this month after a long battle with cancer. He became an effective spokesperson for the cause and helped an untold number of people in the process. By urging people to get tested, he may also have saved many lives.

We miss you, Alex.

Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul died Wednesday evening following a medical emergency at the team facility Tuesday, the team confirmed.

"Markus Paul, surrounded by his family, passed away at the hospital this evening at the age of 54," the Cowboys said ... "The cause of death is pending."

Team owner Jerry Jones issued a statement, saying, "The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Markus Paul was a loved and valued member of our family."

"He was a pleasant and calming influence in our strength room and throughout The Star."

"His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him great respect and admiration from all of our players and the entire organization."

"Our hearts are broken for his family and all of the individuals whose lives he touched and made better."

As we previously reported, Paul suffered a medical emergency at Cowboys headquarters at around 7:30 AM Tuesday morning and was transported to a nearby hospital.

Doctors scrambled to save Paul -- but despite their best efforts, he passed away Wednesday evening.

Paul had been a mainstay in NFL locker rooms for decades ... he played for the Chicago Bears from 1989 to 1993 and had a stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in '93 as well.

He later went on to become an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New Orleans Saints in 1998. From there, he worked for the Patriots, Jets, Giants and Cowboys ... winning FIVE Super Bowls with those teams.

The Cowboys had just promoted him to lead their lead strength and conditioning department in January.

"Markus was a great coach and one of the best guys that I have ever known," NY Giants legend Eli Manning said on Twitter this week. "He will be missed."

Former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes added, "My heart is heavy. One of the finest men and coaches I have ever met. The world lost a GREAT MAN today. We love you! RIP Markus Paul."

Diego Maradona -- widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time -- has died at his home in Argentina, according to his reps.

He was 60.

Maradona, who was still recovering after emergency brain surgery earlier this month, reportedly suffered a heart attack at his home Wednesday morning and was not able to pull through ... according to Argentinian news outlet Clarin.

His death was confirmed by Maradona's longtime lawyer and agent Matias Morla.

Back in the day, Maradona was considered one of the best soccer players in the world -- leading Argentina to a World Cup in 1986.

In fact, his "Hand of God" goal against England during the '86 World Cup is one of the most famous moments in soccer history.

Maradona was tracking down a ball and slyly used his hand to punch it over the goalkeeper into the net -- while pretending his hand never actually touched it. His acting job worked and the goal counted!

After his playing career, he struggled with drug addiction, alcohol abuse and health issues -- and had been hospitalized multiple times.

But, he was still widely loved in his home country -- and the fans came out in force to show love just a few weeks ago when he was being transported to the hospital for brain surgery.

As we previously reported, doctors discovered a blood clot on Maradona's brain that required emergency treatment ... and he went under the knife on Nov. 3.

In the days that followed, Maradona's doctor said the outlook was good and he expected the star to make a successful recovery.

But, something went terribly wrong on Wednesday ... and now the world is mourning Maradona's death.

Alex Trebek was mysteriously dissed by the Grammys, because they declined to give him a nomination for his memoir, despite the publisher submitting his name for consideration.

Alex's book -- "The Answer is ... Reflections on My Life" -- was actually nominated in the category of Best Spoken Word Album. The publisher, Simon & Schuster, submitted Alex and Ken Jennings for the award -- they each voiced the book, but Alex was overlooked. Only Ken got a nom.

Ken Jennings even said, "This should 100% be Alex's Grammy nomination. He wrote the book and reads much of the audio book! Who do I speak to about this?"

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Simon & Schuster do not understand why Alex was not nominated and they are contacting the Grammys for answers.

David Dinkins, New York City's first Black mayor, has died.

Dinkins passed away Monday night at his home in New York City of apparent natural causes. He died less than 2 months after his wife, Joyce, passed away.

Dinkins beat longtime Mayor Ed Koch in 1989 but then lost after his first term to Rudy Giuliani in 1993. He won the '89 election with a pledge for racial healing.

He was passionate about equality, saying he was the mayor of every New Yorker, adding, "We are all foot soldiers on the march to freedom."

The former Mayor referred to the people of his fair city as a "gorgeous mosaic." He worked hard to tamp down the racial tensions, especially in multicultural neighborhoods. He fought for better housing, health care and was always available to hear the voices of people who traditionally were never heard.

Dinkins, the son of a barber, served as a Marine in the Korean War. He held a variety of positions in NYC government before becoming Mayor, including Assemblyman, President of the Board of Elections, City Clerk and Manhattan Borough President.

Giuliani, who defeated Dinkins, said Dinkins gave "a great deal of his life in service to our great City."

Dinkins was 93.

"Jeopardy!" will have a series of interim guest hosts following Alex Trebek's passing and first up is the show's 'Greatest of All Time' ... Ken Jennings.

Sony Pictures announced the move Monday to make the fan-favorite the first guest host. More guests will be announced in the weeks to come but for now, it's Ken first up at the podium.

Mike Richards, the show's executive producer, said the franchise "will honor Alex's legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues." He added, "By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers."

Ken also chimed in after the news was announced ... fittingly saying, "there will only ever be one Alex Trebek."

Alex died a few weeks ago after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer -- but all-new episodes with him hosting will continue to air until Christmas Day ... and "best of" episodes will air until December 28.

Ken's first taping will come on November 30 when the show resumes production. He's already etched his name in "Jeopardy!" lore thanks to his 74-game winning streak. Ken also took home an all-time record in regular-season play with a whopping $2.52 million in earnings -- and earlier this year he won the 'Greatest of All Time' tournament.

John Gilbert Getty -- one of the heirs to the Getty fortune -- has died.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... John passed away Friday in San Antonio, this after he was discovered unresponsive in a hotel room. We're told no foul play is suspected at this point, and the cause of death is pending an autopsy.

The family broke the news through a rep, saying ... "With a heavy heart, Gordon Getty announces the death of his son, John Gilbert Getty." The spokesperson adds, "John was a talented musician who loved rock and roll. He will be deeply missed."

John's other brother, Andrew, died in 2015 from meth intoxication ... and his own, mother, Ann, died from a heart attack just this past September.

John Gilbert was one of several descendants of J. Paul Getty -- the oilman whose art collection served as the basis for the Getty Museum in L.A. Not too much is known about JG other than the fact he bounced around in L.A. ... jumping from one multi-million-dollar home to the next, and that he was apparently pals with Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The Getty family fortune is estimated to be north of $5 billion these days -- and there are still several living heirs between children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

John Gilbert is survived by his daughter, Ivy Getty, and his brothers, Peter and Billy.

He was 52.

Eddie Van Halen loved living life in the fast lane, and now you can too ... his custom Ferrari race car is going up for grabs soon, but ya gotta have deep pockets.

The iconic guitarist used to race his brother, Alex Van Halen, in his 2000 Ferrari 550. The 6-speed race car is decked out with custom racing seats and comes with the original registration in Eddie's name.

Eddie's old Ferrari is hitting the auction block at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com and it sounds like it's still in racing condition ... the auction house says the whip was recently serviced by a top Ferrari mechanic and Eddie always maintained and treated it with care. Plus, it's only got 28,000 miles.

The bidding starts Wednesday and runs through Dec. 4 and the Ferrari's expected to go for between $250,000 and $350,000.

There's a bunch of Van Halen memorabilia going up for sale in the same auction ... including a concert ticket, album sleeve and CD insert signed by Eddie, Alex, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth, plus a guitar pick Eddie used on stage.

Eddie's Ferrari is the big-ticket ... so click through the gallery to check out his custom ride.

Patrick Quinn -- who co-created the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge -- has died.

Quinn passed away Sunday after a 7-year-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- this according to his official Facebook page.

A remembrance post read, "It is with great sadness that we must share the passing of Patrick early this morning.  He was a blessing to us all in so many ways.  We will always remember him for his inspiration and courage in his tireless fight against ALS."

Pat's involvement with the IBC is tied to his pal, Peter Frates, who was widely seen as the face/inspiration behind the challenge and why it went viral. Had it not been for PQ catching wind of a similar challenge happening earlier in 2014 and then linking it directly to ALS while spreading the word ... Frates might've never blown up.

Together, the two of them formally affiliated the challenge with ALS -- which took off all over the world and went on to raise significant awareness about the disease ... not to mention money. As of late, the Ice Bucket Challenge has helped raise upwards of $250 million to help study and, hopefully, eradicate the ailment.

As we reported, Frates -- who also had ALS -- died quite young as well at the age of 34 just last year. His Fenway Park video was the spark plug that made everyone jump on the challenge in August 2014 -- which also spurred folks to challenge other people as a result.

Celebs have also taken up the challenge over the years -- folks like David Spade, Charlie Sheen, Kim K, Ellen and others. Then-President Barack Obama rejected the challenge ... but opted to donate instead, which is probably worth more anyway.

As for Quinn, he was only 37 years old.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's beloved dog, Lupo, has died ... a dog that was responsible for choosing the name of the future King of England.

The couple announced the sad news, saying, "Very sadly last weekend our dear dog, Lupo, passed away. He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much."

Lupo, an English Cocker Spaniel, has been the face of the breed for several years and is responsible for the gain in the breed's popularity across the pond.

The pooch is the offspring of a dog owned by Kate's parents ... and Lupo was happily adopted by William.

Lupo, which means wolf in Italian, is responsible for Prince George ... well, sort of. Back when Kate was pregnant, she and William reportedly wrote a bunch of names on paper, which were strewn across their floor. They turned Lupo loose to see which piece of paper he would tap ... sure enough, it was the one bearing the name George.

Lupo was 9.