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Sofia Vergara really stands out on the set of her new Netflix show ... because she looks exactly like Sofia Vergara, and nothing like the infamous cocaine godmother she's playing.

Ya gotta see these shots of Sofia filming scenes in L.A. for "Griselda," a Netflix limited series about Colombian drug queenpin Griselda Blanco ... it might as well be a scene for "Modern Family" because Sofia pretty much looks like she always does.

It's pretty funny -- some folks who've seen Sofia on set claim she's "unrecognizable in costume" as Griselda. Ummm ... say what??? Look for yourself, this ain't fooling anyone.

She's reportedly wearing facial prosthetics for the role, and there is a slight difference in the nose and cheeks -- but c'mon ... that's Sofia.

For reference, here is what the real Griselda looked like back in the day -- she was assassinated in 2012 in Colombia.

Jeff Daniels doesn't just have friends in low places -- a newly discovered, and pretty damn vicious, worm now bears his name ... and tarantulas everywhere are quaking in their boots!!!

Here's the dirty lowdown ... scientists discovered a new species of parasitic worm that's particularly deadly to the hairy spiders and decided to name it Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi. If you're wondering why Jeff, you probably haven't seen his 1990 flick, "Arachnophobia."

In the movie, Jeff's character saves a town from an invasion of deadly spiders ... and the scientists at UC Riverside must be fans of the cult classic.

The actor clearly digs his new place in the animal kingdom, saying ... “Honestly, I was honored by their homage to me and Arachnophobia. Made me smile. And of course, in Hollywood, you haven’t really made it until you’ve been recognized by those in the field of parasitology.”

BTW, jeffdanielsi do some pretty nasty things once they infect tarantulas -- the spiders' limbs are slowly paralyzed ... making them walk on their 8 tiptoes, and their mouths and fangs are rendered useless. They eventually starve to death.

Beloved actor Sidney Poitier died from a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer's dementia and prostate cancer ... according to his death certificate.

According to the document, obtained by TMZ, the 94-year-old Hollywood icon died at home in Beverly Hills. The certificate lists his occupation as an actor with an astonishing 76 years of experience in the field.

As you know by now ... Poitier was the first Black man in Hollywood to take home an Oscar for best actor -- opening the door for progress as far as how Black people are portrayed on the big screen.

He had many groundbreaking roles in the '60s, including 3 legendary films all released in 1967 -- “To Sir, With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner."

While his death prompted hundreds of tributes from Hollywood celebs, one of the most touching came from his daughter, Sydney Poitier, who wrote ... "My grief is because I lost my dad, but it is also because the world lost so much goodness."

Scottish singer Lulu -- who co-starred with Sidney and sang the theme song for "To Sir, With Love" -- also reflected on working with the icon.

Brian Cox seems just like his character Logan Roy -- in that the guy speaks his mind, even if it's at the expense of Johnny Depp, whom he considers ... eh, not that great.

The "Succession" star let his thoughts about Depp (and others) fly in his new memoir, "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," an excerpt of which GQ obtained and published Friday. In the text, he takes aim at Depp for what he considers ... sub-par acting chops.

While reminiscing about passing on a big role for the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise, Cox writes, "It would have been a money-spinner, but of all the parts in that film it was the most thankless, plus I would have ended up doing it for film after film and missed out on all the other nice things I've done."

He adds, "Another thing with 'Pirates' ... it's very much the "Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow" show, and Depp, personable though I'm sure he is, is so overblown, so overrated."

BC wasn't done criticizing Depp just yet ... he continues, "I mean, 'Edward Scissorhands.' Let's face it, if you come on with hands like that and pale, scarred-face make-up, you don't have to do anything. And he didn't. And subsequently, he's done even less."

JD wasn't the only actor Cox had words for ... he also took some shots at Edward Norton, whom he describes as "a nice lad but a bit of a pain in the arse because he fancies himself as a writer-director."

Hollywood execs and celebs who were planning to attend this year's Sundance Film Festival are in for a rude awakening ... because the event was canceled just days beforehand and now they stand to lose a boatload of cash.

This year's Sundance was scheduled for Jan 20-30 as a hybrid event with both in-person and online events ... it was expected to bring out filmgoers from around the U.S., volunteers and, of course, celebs and Hollywood honchos.

Well, that was until the festival was canceled only 15 days before the curtain was raised, due to the explosion of COVID. We're told hotels and Airbnb jacked up the prices like crazy -- $3k and up for some rooms and suites -- and now we're told a lot of them are not giving refunds.

Likewise ... Sundance organizers are not offering refunds to folks who paid to attend in person. Instead, attendees can either gift their packages to someone else or turn the money spent into a tax-deductible donation to the Sundance Institute.

Back to the hotels ... one example is Auberge Resorts Collection, which was charging $3,798 per night for some of the suites ... and guess what, it's non-refundable. The hotel is telling guests to come anyway and enjoy the skiing, or just reschedule.

When COVID strikes this way, a lot depends on what's in the contract.  If there's an "Act of God" clause, although it's not clear there have been successful arguments that money should be returned.

Mark Wahlberg is a savvy businessman -- with his own line of gyms and burger joints -- but now he's taking on the tequila world with his sights set on some of the biz's celeb heavy-hitters.

A rep for Mark tells us he recently became a principal investor in Flecha Azul -- a company founded by Mexican PGA golfer Abraham Ancer and entrepreneur Aron Marquez -- who first reached out to the actor about the opportunity.

A source close to Mark says he traveled down to the distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, MX to check it out, liked what he saw, and wrote a "very big check" to join the company.

We're told it was important for Mark to be on location, and test the product so he could have "real skin in the game."

What's more ... our sources say Mark plans to reach out to George Clooney (Casamigos) and "The Rock" (Teremana) for a good ole fashioned tequila-off in the future to determine which celeb-backed brand reigns supreme.

Not only that, we're told Mark's burger chain, Wahlburgers, will exclusively sell Flecha Azul at its locations.

Of course, there's a whole slew of celebs now in the tequila booze biz -- including Kendall Jenner, Kevin Hart, Toby Keith, Justin Timberlake and Diddy.

Someone's about to have trouble falling asleep -- the infamous home from the OG "A Nightmare on Elm Street" has a new owner, who's dropping $2,980,000 to toss and turn ... TMZ has learned.

Aside from being a kickass location for a Halloween party ... the 3 bedroom, 4.5 bath L.A. home has some impressive features like walnut floors, spacious backyard patios, a pool and a bed that devours you whole!!!

Kidding. The infamous bed from the classic horror film was not included -- that would cost way more than $3 mil.

Despite its place in Hollywood horror history, the home screams peaceful suburban bliss ... and was originally listed around Halloween for $3,250,000.

You can see in the photo gallery, the sellers really leaned into the whole Freddy Krueger thing to market the home.

The 2 story pad does come with a bonus -- a detached guest house with its own kitchen, covered patio and full bathroom.

We don't know who snagged the iconic home, but they are in for a treat ... and maybe a trick or 2. Their new favorite song?

Affion Crockett is remembering late actor Sidney Poitier as a "king" ... and thanking him for kicking open the door and paving the way for Black entertainers.

We got the comedian at LAX and asked how he's remembering Sidney ... and Affion says he wouldn't have a platform today without Poitier changing the landscape of how Hollywood viewed Black men.

Affion says Sidney was more than a trailblazer ... also remembering him as a prolific actor and orator, and marveling at the way he carried himself and represented his craft.

As we reported ... Sidney died at the age of 94, and tons of tributes are pouring in for the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor.

Sidney Poitier, the actor and activist who broke color barriers in Hollywood and starred in some of the most iconic movies ever made, has died.

The office of the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs has confirmed Sidney's death to TMZ ... however, the circumstances surrounding his passing are not yet known, nor do we know where he died.

Poitier was the first black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor for his starring role in "Lilies of the Field" in 1963.

Sidney's roles are legendary ... starring as Mark Thackeray in "To Sir With Love," and Detective Virgil Tibbs in "In the Heat of the Night" in 1967. You know, he delivered the famous line, "They call me Mr. Tibbs."

He also starred in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," also released in 1967.

Just think about that ... all 3 incredible movies were released the same year.

Poitier was a tireless civil rights activist ... he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Obama for his work.

Poitier, who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the Bahamas, served from 1997-2007 as Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.

Poitier is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joanna and 6 daughters.

Sidney was 94.

Peter Bogdanovich -- the filmmaker behind big movies like "The Last Picture Show" and "What's Up, Doc?" -- has died.

Peter passed away Thursday at his home in Los Angeles as a result of natural causes ... his daughter, Antonia Bogdanovich, told The Hollywood Reporter.

PB vaulted to fame when he directed the critically-acclaimed 1971 black-and-white classic, 'Last Picture Show,' which earned 8 Oscar nominations ... including one for best director. He also famously directed movies like "Mask" and "Paper Moon" plus "Daisy Miller" and there's even a musical on his Hollywood resume, "At Long Last Love."

While he was known for his work behind the camera, Peter also appeared on-screen ... most notably in a recurring role playing Dr. Melfi's therapist, Elliot Kupferberg, on "The Sopranos."

Peter was twice married, but both marriages ended in divorce, he was known for dating 'Last Picture' star Cybill Shepherd, and also Dorothy Stratten ... back in 1980 when the Playboy Playmate was infamously murdered by her estranged husband.

At the time of the murder, Peter railed against Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, blaming Hef and the "Playboy sex factory" for Dorothy's demise.

Peter was 82.

While Marvel is having a ball in movie land, there are grave concerns among the DC fanbase ... especially amid rumors that their fave heroes are going to be nixed from the franchise.

Here's the deal ... there are a handful of movie insiders claiming to have seen a cut of the new 'Flash' film starring Ezra Miller, which just wrapped filming back in October. According to some of these folks ... Warner is going in a whole new direction with the DCEU.

One reporter, Grace Randolph, spilled the alleged beans ... saying that not only is this movie going to be the final Batfleck movie (meaning no more Ben Affleck as Batman) but it's apparently also going to feature Henry Cavill's Superman sparingly ... and then, never more.

Perhaps even more jarring ... the claim that an entirely new Justice League is formed by the end -- and that the new Batman, as it were, is actually going to be Batgirl (eventually), and Supergirl is the new Superman. She also says Michael Keaton comes back as his OG Batman -- because of reported universe jumping, a la 'Spider-Man' -- but he's old now (obvs).

She adds, "This is new DC, let’s be open minded & give it a fair shot." Another account that's deep in the DC weeds puts it even more succinctly, writing ... "the movie (The Flash) will erase every movie Snyder has done. Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League never happened now. Erased from continuity. Affleck and Cavill are both gone."

Now, Ezra himself appears to have spoken out on these rumors -- somebody captured a DM that's been linked to his account, and in it ... he says Zack Snyder's work isn't undone.

The DM purported to be from Ezra reads, "No power or force in any known megaverse would or could ever erase Zack Snyder's might (work). You can take that quote."

Of course, that doesn't really address the theory of WB pivoting away from Cavill, Affleck and the rest of the OG DC heroes that have already been established in Snyder's world ... which, if true, is a huge bummer -- at least that's what fans online are saying.

You can hop onto the Twitter-verse yourself and read up on how folks are reacting to this would-be news ... and you'll quickly see, they think Warner is sticking its head in the sand on what the people really want.

Max Julien -- famous for his leading role in the blaxploitation film 'The Mack' -- has died.

The actor/writer/producer passed away on Jan. 1, due to undisclosed circumstances -- this according to his PR team ... who says his wife discovered him early him Saturday morning.

In a statement, they say in part ... "During Julien's decades-long career, he was known for being bold, honest and straightforward. He would live and speak his own truth both professionally and privately. He was thought of as a rare 'man among men'."

Comic book writer and film producer David F. Walker broke the news about Julien's death in a social media post, honoring his friend.

He wrote, "I met Max back in 1996. He was a great human being, and we had so many amazing conversations. He was brilliant and hilarious and charismatic... R.I.P" DFW's caption accompanied an artistic rendering of Julien in his prime, depicting a classic scene from 'TM.'

No cause of death was revealed.

While he's got handful of acting credits, Julien will be most remembered for playing Goldie in the '73 cult classic film -- in which he portrays an ambitious up-and-coming pimp in Oakland, who faces off with corrupt cops and a drug kingpin upon being released from prison.

Along the way, he builds his roster of women with his sidekick, Slim ... who, funny enough, is played by a then-young Richard Pryor, well before he blew up as a big time actor. RP, of course, was already well established as a comedian at this point.

Several different lines and scenes from 'The Mack' have made their way into popular culture -- especially in hip-hop, with multiple rappers sampling snippets of the film into their songs. Some of those MCs who paid tribute -- Too Short, Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Jadakiss, MC Ren, Kriss Kross and Big K.R.I.T. ... just to name a few.

Some other notable movies and shows Julien has starred in ... "The Black Klansman," "Psych-Out," "Uptight," "Mod Squad," "Getting Straight," "How to Be Player," among others. He also helped create the 'Cleopatra Jones franchise -- another blaxploitation saga.

Julien is survived by his wife, Arabella. He was 88, despite what his public birthday is listed as online. We've been assured ... Max was born in 1933.

Harry Potter and co. got together again for a trip down memory lane -- and even though J.K. Rowling doesn't sit for an interview herself ... she still magically appears (kinda).

The author and creator of the wizarding franchise was notably absent for HBO Max's 20th Anniversary 'Return to Hogwarts' reunion special, which hit the airwaves Saturday ... just in time for the new year.

While JKR did not appear in person to mingle with the rest of the cast and crew -- including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint -- she was there in spirit ... but more specifically, there in old archival footage from a couple years ago, this according to reports.

Word is, clips of J.K. from 2019 are sprinkled into the nearly 2-hour show ... where she talks about casting and the early process of turning her books into a blockbuster film. Apparently, some of the cast also talks about her, but they do it sparingly ... and mostly gloss over her.

If you're wondering what gives ... it's no secret J.K. has become persona non grata in Hollywood of late, due to comments she's made over the past year that many perceive as transphobic, remarks she' since tried clarifying time and again. Still, Radcliffe disavowed her sentiments ... drawing a firm line in the sand on where he stands on the trans community.

Now, with that in mind ... it's perhaps no surprise Rowling isn't in the HBO special, but weirdly enough -- there are slightly differing takes on why she wasn't involved ... including a report claiming she herself turned the opportunity down.

EW cites sources saying J.K. was extended an invite by HBO brass, but that she and her team felt the old footage of her would be adequate. Even more puzzling, these same sources say her transgender controversy played no part in the decision to pass on joining.

HBO Max, meanwhile, confirms they reached out to Rowling, but wound up agreeing that her old clips would suffice. It's unclear, on their end, if she turned 'em down for a new interview, or if they actually shot something with her and then ultimately scrapped it.

Maybe the biggest celebrity house sale of the year is going down in Bev Hills, because TMZ has learned Adele is about to become the owner of Sylvester Stallone's awesome estate, and she's getting it for a steal.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Adele is in escrow for Sly's massive home, tucked away inside Beverly Park -- a super-exclusive, gated community riddled with celebs.

Now get this ... our sources say Adele is paying $58 mil for the property. Yes, that's a fortune, but it was listed at $80 mil. In fact, back in February, Sly initially listed it for $110 mil but there were no takers. Multiple real estate sources tell us, $58 million for this property is, as one source put it, "an outright steal."

Sly bought the house back in the 90's ... he and others have referred to it as "The house that Rocky built."

It's got 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a gym, sauna, steam, infinity pool, cigar room, screening room, custom bar, art studio, 2-story guest house, yada yada yada.

It's one of the largest properties in Beverly Park, sitting on 3.6-level acres with insane, jetliner views of the city below.

Now Adele owns 2 properties nearby, in the Hidden Valley area of L.A. We're told she wanted a bigger house ... and that she's getting. BTW ... remember she said she's living in L.A. because real estate in London is too expensive? Well, $58 mil ain't chump change!!!

As we reported, Sly and his fam have moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where they scooped up a massive estate for $35 mil. That house has 13,200 feet of living space, 7 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms ... all the bells and whistles.

Stallone's new neighbors now include rockers Jon Bon Jovi and Rod Stewart as well as Howard Stern.

The show will go on ... it's something Betty White must have said many times during her life, so it's fitting the show dedicated to her life will go on, despite her passing.

Betty's life will be featured in a movie which was supposed to celebrate her 100th birthday on January 17. The flick was scheduled to play in movie theaters for just that one night. It will proceed as planned -- so producers told the New York Post -- and it's a real good bet theaters will be packed to capacity.

The show -- "Betty White: 100 Years Young -- A Birthday Celebration" features a gazillion stars, including Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The flick will feature Betty's breakout moments from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls." It also showcases Betty's first sitcom -- a lost episode, no less.

TMZ broke the story ... Betty died at her L.A. home on New Year's Eve, just days before her milestone birthday.

Betty's legacy will live on for decades. Aside from her amazing body of work in show biz, she was a devoted, unrelenting champion of animals, something she pretty much exclusively devoted her life to in the final years.

Her life is amazing ... decades of incredible shows, from "MTM" to "SNL" and "Hot in Cleveland." Beyond her work, she was one of the most beloved stars in the history of Hollywood.

Betty's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has drawn big crowds ... folks are leaving candles, flowers, stuffed animals and other tokens.

Jeanine Ann Roose, the little girl featured in the iconic movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Jeanine passed on New Year's Eve at her home in L.A. We're told she had been battling an illness -- an infection in her abdomen -- for a couple of months and succumbed to it. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Jeanine played Violet Bick, aka Little Violet, in the 1946 film. She once said, "It's A Wonderful Life was the only movie that I was in and it been an amazing lifetime experience to have been in such a collectively meaningful picture."

But, that was about it. Jeanine said her acting career ended when she enrolled at UCLA and decided not to become a performing arts major. She wanted to go into a career that helped others and thought about nursing, but decided instead to become a psychologist and ultimately a Jungian Analyst.

She actually saw a connection between her career choice and "Wonderful Life," saying, "It became clear that my desire was specifically to help others who were struggling with finding meaning in their life -- not unlike Clarence in the movie who helps George see the meaning of his life."

"Wonderful Life" wasn't Jeanine's first gig ... she appeared on "The Jack Benny Show" when she was 8, as Little Alice Harris.

Jeanine married Eugene Richard Auger in 1964. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including son Joe, when she passed.