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Natalie Desselle-Reid -- a prolific actor known for roles in "Eve," a 'Madea' film and 'B*A*P*S' -- has died after a battle with cancer ... one she'd kept private.

The veteran comedic actor passed away Monday morning. A family member tells TMZ she died of colon cancer after having been diagnosed earlier this year. We're told she was in hospice care in her final days, and was surrounded by family when she went.

An official statement reads, "It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning. She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife."

Actress Holly Robinson Peete also shared the news, writing ... "Just absolutely decimated by this news... Actress Natalie Desselle, a bright shining star passed away this morning. I got to know her when my mom was managing her.  She will be so missed...sending out prayers to her children and husband." She added, "💔🙏🏽😢 Rest In Peace, Sweet Girl🙏🏽"

Natalie was perhaps best known for her sidekick role opposite Halle Berry in the 1997 comedy film "B*A*P*S" in which she played the hilarious role of Mickey. She also starred on the sitcom "Eve" for three years, playing Janie Egins -- as well as having starred in Tyler Perry's "Madea's Big Happy Family" as Tammy.

Her acting credits go well beyond that though -- NDR also played a prominent character on the TV shows "For Your Love," and "Built to Last."

Her other big-screen credits include "How to Be a Player," "Set It Off," "Divas," "Gas" and quite notably ... the made-for-TV movie "Cinderella," featuring Brandy ... in which Natalie played the evil step-sister, Minerva.

Natalie leaves behind her husband, Leonard, and 3 children. She was 53.

Zak Bagans has all the makings of the dollhouse from hell ... he just threw down more cash for one of the famous Chucky dolls from "Child's Play."

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he dropped a cool $11,000 at an auction, and scored one of the creepy dolls used in the first installment of the slasher film series.

Zak says original Chucky dolls from the movies are extremely rare, and he was expecting to have to bid six figures for this little guy. If ya look at it that way, $11k for a doll could be a steal. We guess.

Zak's Chucky is a carrying-prop from the classic 1988 horror movie, and it was used on screen before Chucky's psychopathic metamorphosis. Still pretty creepy though.

The doll's already home with Zak, and it looks like his dog, Gracie, doesn't like their new addition very much.

Zak seems to be a horror film doll collector now ... as we first told you, he recently snagged the famous clown doll from "Poltergeist" and is keeping it in his bedroom.

Elizabeth Taylor didn't make the cut in "The Chanukah Song," but she famously converted to Judaism in 1959, and now ... a couple mementos of her faith are hitting the auction block.

Two menorahs belonging to the iconic "Cleopatra" star will be on display for the upcoming Jewish celebration at the J Greenstein Gallery in New York ... then will go up for grabs in January.

We're told the menorahs were originally purchased after her death at the Julien's of Hollywood estate sale when they sold her property.

The larger one is expected to fetch $15,000 - $20,000 at the auction, with the smaller one expected to go for up to $8k.

If you aren't aware ... Taylor was one of the biggest movie stars in the world when she converted, and not just because she married a Jewish man. She was reportedly very devoted to her faith for decades until she passed in 2011.

She wasn't the only celeb at the time to famously become Jewish either -- Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis Jr. did as well.

Warner Bros' plan to stream new movie releases will not only rock the theater industry, but also impact the U.S. economy ... according to Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined "TMZ Live" Friday to break down Warner's game-changer -- streaming its blockbuster 2021 films on HBO Max, while also releasing them in theaters. He says it's a big win for movie buffs and distributors like WB.

But, he can already see how it will shift the economy as a whole because he's lived through it. Remember, "Trolls World Tour" was released on demand, and in theaters earlier this year -- and you gotta see how that ended up costing him $200. He explains why the cash is spread out to more companies when ya go to a theater, as opposed to staying home to watch a new movie.

No more how ya slice it, though ... It's bad news for movie theater owners.

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.

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.

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.

Barack Obama has finally given Drake his blessing to portray him in a biopic -- something the kid has openly tried wishing into existence.

The former President was asked about Drake's comments from 2010 ... when he said it was actually a professional goal of his to play BO in a movie, noting he was sure he could do it.

At the time, Drake said he watched all of Obama's national addresses and studied his speaking inflection ... gloating about his impression game.

Welp, Drizzy might wanna start practicing that Obama voice again -- 'cause Barack officially gave his stamp of approval during a sit down with Complex News. He told Speedy Morman that Drake seemed capable of doing anything, and that if he's ready ... why not?!?

He also says his household would approve. Apparently, Sasha and Malia love them some Champagne Papi. Good card to play for Drake's future elevator pitch. BTW, Barack says he's seen clips of flicks that have taken a stab at telling the Obama story ... adding some have done it better than others.

As for Drake, you might recall ... Dude's got a background in acting. He actually started his entertainment career with a role on 'Degrassi.' Sure, the leap from that to playing Obama seems like a giant one, but who's to say it can't be done? Certainly not Obama himself.

The Wet Bandits are once again being chased off a property by young Kevin McCallister this holiday season ... because somebody went to extreme lengths to bring 'Home Alone' to life at their own crib ... almost quite literally.

The house in question is decked out in perhaps the most EPIC Christmas decoration set-up ever ... with this home-owner going above and beyond to recreate some of the most iconic scenes and snapshot moments from Macaulay Culkin's 1990 comedy classic.

They even have life-size figurines of the three main characters -- little Kevin's up on the roof with his memorable paint can booby trap ... while Marv and Harry try to make a run for it from the porch below. Not exactly how things played out in the flick, but close enough.

If you'll recall, Kevin actually throws the paint cans from inside the huge Chicago-based McCallister mansion, tossing 'em over the stair banister and hitting each crook in the head to send them toppling back down to the first story.

There's more décor from the movie all over the house -- including the Michael Jordan cardboard cutout that Kevin used to make the bandits think someone was home ... plus the front page of the newspaper showing that Marv and Harry had escaped from prison. Whoever shot this also had the good sense to throw Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' as the background music ... a prominent song featured in 'Home Alone.'

Oh, and who could forget the classic line from the fake noir film Kevin used to scare people -- like an unwitting pizza boy -- as well ... 'Angels with Filthy Souls,' which had the best tagline ever?!? That makes a cameo here too, in spirit (and signage).

Holly Madison is gonna loooove this ... her BF, Zak Bagans, just dropped a fat stack on the famous clown from "Poltergeist," and wants to keep it in his bedroom!!!

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he threw down a cool $80,000 at an auction, and snagged the original clown prop doll from the 1980s classic horror film.

The doll's supposedly cursed -- 4 cast members died either during or soon after filming. That folklore explains why Zak's been trying to buy the clown for over a decade.

It was previously on display at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Now that he's finally got it, Zak thinks his bedroom's the perfect place for a test spin. Although, he plans to eventually display it at his Haunted Museum.

The movie prop was used in the unforgettable scene when Oliver Robins' character, little Robbie Freeling, gets attacked by the clown doll in his bedroom.

Ledisi's giving Jussie Smollett a rave review as a first-time director, but more importantly -- she's going to bat for him as a human being ... regardless of what everyone else thinks.

The R&B artist and actress is starring in Smollett's upcoming movie, "B-Boy Blues," and she has nothing but glowing words for his debut behind the camera ... telling us she had a very fun time filming.

Ledisi also says she didn't think twice about signing on with Jussie -- and doesn't believe other actors did either -- because she loves him and he's always been there for her. She adds ... "He's a good human. He means well with everything he does."

Of course, we had to ask if she hesitated ... remember the January 2019 incident in which he allegedly staged a hate crime.

Though Ledisi clearly supports Jussie, she doesn't say he DIDN'T do what he's accused of. Instead, she tells us ... "He does good work. People make mistakes, and they do things around the wrong people."

She goes on to say Smollett's doing the right thing now by focusing on his work and insists his heart's in the right place.

Ya gotta think Jussie will appreciate his star's kind words, but he might take issue with her implication he made a mistake. As we've reported ... he still insists the "attack" was not a hoax, and says he has new evidence to back it up.

Sylvester Stallone has an odd recommendation on how to make this already strange Thanksgiving even more bizarre ... ditch the turkey altogether!!!

We got Rocky in Bev Hills and asked about the many challenges families will be facing during their upcoming holiday get-togethers ... and it seems his visit to Mulberry Street Pizzeria was still very much on his mind.

Rambo tells us he thinks everyone needs to switch it up -- just for 2020 -- and dish out Chicago style hot dogs and pizza this year. He even says he's going to do this himself ... though we get the feeling he's fibbing.

Sly sounds sincere about one thing though -- he feels families should be left to decide what's best for them in regards to handling Turkey Day with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spider-Man's not taking any chances ... he's got a mask on over his mask, and he's encouraging everyone else to follow his lead.

Tom Holland just whipped up a frenzy on social media with his latest post -- not only is he promoting responsible behavior amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic ... but he provided a first look at his character in 'Spider-Man 3.'

Holland's photo shows Spidey in an action pose, in front of a blue screen, wearing a medical facemask over his suit. Tom says ... "Wear a mask, I'm wearing two..."

The pic's also notable for another reason -- it's got diehard fans of the film franchise clamoring to find out who that is standing next to Spider-Man.

Holland and his costars -- including Zendaya and Jacob Batalon -- began filming the upcoming sequel in Georgia this week ... though plot details of the Marvel movie have been kept under wraps.

Johnny Depp's suffering a huge blow to his career on the heels of losing his wife-beating case ... he's no longer starring in 'Fantastic Beasts.'

The actor says Warner Bros. asked him to step down from his recurring role as Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spinoff franchise, and he's agreeing to walk away.

Warner Bros. confirmed the drastic change in a statement to TMZ, telling us ... Johnny is leaving the 'Fantastic Beasts' family, and with the third-installment already in production, Grindelwald's character will be recast.

As we reported ... Johnny lost his libel lawsuit in the U.K. against The Sun ... which had called him a "wife-beater" in reference to his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

Filing the case was a huge miscalculation on Depp's part -- since the judge agreed he was a "wife-beater" -- and the move by Warner Bros. to cut ties is evidence of that.