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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.

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.

Now, this is creative ... a handful of Clubhouse users put on a live production of 'The Lion King' -- complete with a full cast and choir -- and THOUSANDS of people dropped in to listen live.

Organized by executive producer and director Noelle Chesnut Whitmore -- along with the assistance of a full crew, including voice actors/singers and others -- the performance is a two-show event that kicked off Saturday ... which entailed a matinee at 12 PM PT, and a later show at 5 PM PT. It appears to be free ... but ya gotta have Clubhouse to catch it.

Word is, auditions were held organically on Clubhouse itself ... and a ton of super talented people prepped for a live reading of the Disney animated classic, including those famous numbers we all know and love. And as it turns out, it sounds pretty decent too!

One such actor, Lee-Lonn (one of the guys playing Simba), posted a video of him rehearsing for 'I Just Can't Wait to be King' -- and it's obvious these folks are taking it pretty damn serious ... it comes off almost movie-like. So yeah, they're pros here at work.

The afternoon show is over, but like we said ... there's an encore coming up in just under an hour. At one of its peaks, there were reports of upwards of 5,000 Clubhouse users listening in live (on mute, of course) ... including tons of kids and families.

The problem -- if you haven't signed up for Clubhouse yet (which appears to still be in the beta phases of development), ya might have to wait until next time ... because the admin team has to approve you and your username before you can hop on, and that takes a bit.

The good news ... some people are capturing parts of the performance and posting (which is technically against their rules) -- so we can all at least get a taste of the treat in play. Not only that, but there's talk of other famous productions that might get the Clubhouse treatment -- like 'A Raisin in the Sun' for example, so more shows are on the horizon, it seems.

It might be worth your while to sign up -- Clubhouse is all the rage these days, and a ton of celebs are constantly dropping in and chatting with folks about a variety of topics. Celebs like Kevin Hart, Damon Dash, Joe Budden, Tyrese, Bow Wow and countless others have accounts and have made appearances ... with complete strangers tagging along for the ride.

Clifton Powell says 'Friday 4' absolutely needs to get off the ground as an homage to the franchise's late stars John Witherspoon and Tommy "Tiny" Lister.

We got Clifton -- who played Pinky in "Next Friday" and "Friday After Next" -- at LAX and talked about the chances of another sequel happening following Pops' death in 2019 and Deebo's sudden passing earlier this month.

Clifton says there's no question about it ... it's gotta happen. In fact, he essentially says it would be the perfect way to pay tribute to the iconic characters both men created, and generations of fans grew to love.

He's even got some ideas for Ice Cube on how to pull it off.

Now, a few years ago Cube said a 4th flick was in the works ... and he was reportedly writing the script -- but things stalled, and it's been on hold since then.

Either way, it sure seems like Clifton's mind's in overdrive cause his ideas are so spot on ... Cube might want to think about giving him producer's credit.

Tom Cruise might want to look in the mirror when it comes to making sure everyone on set is COVID safe -- especially if he sticks with what appears to be his go-to face covering.

The mask Tom's wearing in almost all the pics from various 'Mission: Impossible 7' sets is NOT recommended by the CDC ... and the agency actually warned against wearing any mask with valves like the one TC's rocking.

The mask, from Jupiter Gear, features a carbon filter and breathing valves ... and it retails for $14.99 a pop.

The manufacturer says the mask is meant to mostly be worn during physical activity, with the valves designed to "release hot, humid exhaled breath quickly." In other words, there's still a good chance respiratory droplets are escaping ... and that's dangerous with this airborne coronavirus."

In fact, the CDC spells it out, warning against masks with valves because ... "this type of mask may not prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to others. The hole in the material may allow your respiratory droplets to escape and reach others."

As you know ... Tom blew a gasket over film crew members breaking COVID protocols by standing too close together on set, and promised to fire them if it happens again.

Now, just as ineffective as Tom's mask -- and probably worse -- is what Tom's costar Hayley Atwell was seen doing on set in Rome. She's one of those folks who wear their mask under their nose which is also highly ineffective in stopping moisture droplets.

The world can now see Chadwick Boseman's last performance before he died ... and the role is sure to strike a high note, especially if you're into jazz.

The late actor starred in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which premieres Friday on Netflix. Chadwick plays a trumpeter named Levee in an early 20th-century jazz band.

The movie's based on August Wilson's 1982 play of the same name ... and Denzel Washington is one of the producers.

As you know ... Chadwick died back in August following a 4-year battle with colon cancer. He was only 43 years old.

The deeply emotional response to Chadwick's sudden and recent death is fueling speculation he might receive a posthumous Oscar for his performance in 'Black Bottom.'

Tom Cruise is flying south for the winter break ... fleeing his now controversial 'Mission: Impossible 7' set after blowing a gasket over COVID-19 rules.

Production's reportedly shut down on 'MI7,' but not due to a breach in COVID protocols -- it's so Tom can start his Christmas break a little earlier than planned. Cruise is hopping on a private jet to Miami to hang with his son, Connor ... according to The Sun.

Of course, the early break likely does have something to do with the film's star and producer blowing his top ... and the audio of his rant leaking.

As you know ... Tom exploded on set after seeing two crew members breaking COVID protocols by getting within 6 feet of each other, and his tirades and threats of mass firings convinced at least 5 folks to call it quits.

Now, Tom's deciding he needs a break too ... and The Sun reports Friday will be the movie's last day of filming this year, as tensions rise on set.

Tom Cruise isn't always a super stickler for COVID protocols -- not based on some on-set pics of him with his 'Mission: Impossible 7' costar.

'M.I. 7' has been filming for months all over Europe, and we found these images from October of Tom and Hayley Atwell shooting in Rome. In one of them, Tom is wearing a face mask and talking to Hayley, who's also got a mask on, but she's not up to CDC snuff. You can see hers is down below her nose, and as we all know by now ... that does not protect people from droplets that can transmit the virus.

Hayley's showing the same bad form in another shot where Tom doesn't have one on at all -- although it's possible he was about to shoot a scene.

As you know, Tom went nuclear on his crew recently while filming on a studio lot in England. He was pissed off at 2 crew members for breaking COVID protocols, standing less than 6 feet apart to look at a monitor.

Tom Cruise takes COVID protocols very seriously on the set of the new 'Mission Impossible,' and tore into crew members for breaking the rules ... telling them they'd be "f**king gone" if it happens again.

Tom was on the U.K. set of 'MI 7' when someone recorded his expletive-laced tirade ... sparked by seeing 2 crew members standing within 6 feet of each other around a monitor ... according to The Sun, which first posted the audio.

It might sound like a minor infraction, but Tom makes it clear he and the entire production can't afford ANY slip ups when it comes to COVID safety. He raged at them, saying the cast and crew need to be the "gold standard" when it comes to filming safely.

With a ton of f-bombs -- and even one instance of calling the culprits "motherf**kers" -- Tom let it be known, in no uncertain terms, everyone he was pissed off at. The rant is reminiscent of Christian Bale's on a 'Terminator' flick -- but the root of Tom's anger is much different.

He explained the 'MI' production is under pressure from Hollywood -- specifically the studios and insurance companies backing his movie ... which, no doubt, want to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak. As Tom puts it, all of Hollywood is watching to see if they can safely pull off filming a blockbuster in multiple countries.

After basically yelling it's my way or the highway, Cruise summed up what's at stake -- "That’s it! No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f**king homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education."

Word is Tom has taken it upon himself to do safety inspections on the set, and literally goes around making sure everything is up to snuff as far safety and approved protocols.

Rachael Leigh Cook is coming back for more of that ... the "She's All That" star is jumping onboard the second coming of her '90s teen classic.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Rachael is being added to the cast for "He's All That" and she's playing the mom of Addison Rae's character, Padget. Rachael tells us it's nice to be reunited with some familiar faces and that the new film has a nice spin that she thinks fans of the original will like.

As you know ... Rachael starred in the original movie way back in 1999 alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. The OG version also featured Paul Walker and Gabrielle Union. Ah, the '90s.

Fast-forward 21 years and Rachael will be the vet on set for the gender-swapped reboot ... Addison wasn't even born when Rachael, Freddie, Paul and Gabrielle got this whole thing rolling.

"He's All That" is already a few weeks into production ... and it looks like Addison, Tanner Buchanan, Andrew Matarazzo, Myra Molloy, Peyton Meyer, Madison Pettis, Annie Jacob and Dominic Goodman are having a blast.

Leonardo DiCaprio is being shielded almost as much as the new movie he's in these days -- 'cause he's on location ... and has a forcefield around his mug.

Leo was seen this weekend boarding a one-time naval battleship in Massachusetts next to his costar, Jennifer Lawrence, who was following closely behind ... while in full makeup and costume for the upcoming Netflix film, "Don't Look Up," in which they play scientists trying to warn the world that a meteor is on its way to blow up the Earth. Talk about timely, huh?

As you can see, both LDC and J. Law had protective face shields on -- so this is clearly them getting ready to shoot ... with coronavirus on-set guidelines in full swing.

It's interesting -- based on other photos from the production ... it appears a lot of the talent and crew members have opted for shields rather than traditional masks. Granted, it's probably a lot less obstructive ... and has less of a chance at ruining somebody's foundation.

In any case ... good to see they're being safe on set, and that Hollywood appears to be back in full swing. It's also good to see that one Matthew Perry -- who's one of several A-listers is in the star-studded film -- back in good health and hard at work. He was photographed on the 'DLU' set as well a couple of days ago alongside fellow costar Jonah Hill -- plus a Kid Rock look-alike to boot -- as they filmed a scene that looked like a political rally.

Remember, he had emergency surgery a couple years ago for a serious gastrointestinal issue that left a hole in his stomach. He's also battled drug addiction for years -- but now seems to be on an upswing ... he's got a 'Friends' reunion on the horizon, and just recently got engaged.

Matt's also been promoting a new line of Chandler merch that he's hawking for charity. So the dude's doing really well these days, which is heartening to see.

As for this new movie everyone's buzzing about -- but also being hush-hush with -- something tells us it'll be pretty good. Like we said, the cast is second to none as far as star power -- it includes names like Meryl Streep (who plays POTUS), Timothee Chalamet, Chris Evans, Ariana Grande (yes, in an acting role), Kid Cudi (also acting), Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett ... and a whole lot more. So yeah, the cards are stacked for this one.

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister's condition in the days before his demise was alarming -- but the guy was confident he'd be taken care of by the man upstairs.

Actor/rapper Chris La Vrar tells TMZ ... he was with Tiny Monday at the 'Friday' star's Marina del Rey home, where Tiny was recording a live stream video session with fans and fielding questions for a Q&A. Part of the convo was posted on social media -- and while you can see Tiny was not well here ... Chris says it was much worse up close in-person.

In the video, you see Tiny struggling to speak and breathe ... much like he had during his interview with Brandon Jay. Only difference here is that Tiny kinda nods off at various points, and his energy and focus are low compared to the rest of the chat room.

Good sport that he was, he did his best to engage with fans as best he could -- but Chris tells us that behind the scenes ... Tiny was startling him. He says the man was coughing nonstop, and when Chris asked if he was okay, 'Tiny' told him he was fine.

We're told Chris pressed to see if he felt like he needed to go to a doctor -- as Chris believed he did -- and Tiny responded ... "No, God's got me." Chris let it go.

BTW, as we reported, Tiny apparently contracted COVID 4 months ago, like many suspected -- Chris tells us it was confirmed, but Tiny believed he'd beaten it and gotten past the symptoms. As we can now see, that was not the case. After hanging out with Tiny for a couple hours and subsequently learning of his death days later -- we're told Chris is now concerned he might have COVID and plans to get tested ASAP.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister said he was looking forward to taking the COVID vaccine just days before his death, but when you listen to him it's apparent he's got serious symptoms, including labored breathing.

TMZ broke the story ... Lister's body was discovered Thursday ... this after friends and family couldn't reach him the night before. They were worried because he had been ill for a week and it was worsening daily.

During Tiny's interview with Brandon Jay just 5 days before his death, you hear Tiny struggling as he speaks. He was attempting to clear his throat throughout the interview.

Tiny, who wore a mask, told Brandon on his podcast ... he had lots of things to do in life, and was eager to take the shot -- inspired by the 3 ex-presidents who agreed to get vaccinated publicly -- so he could get back to work shooting movies. He had a shoot scheduled this week but had to cancel it because of illness.

Tiny apparently had COVID 4 months ago. It's unclear if he was re-infected or if the virus hadn't left his body.

He was truly optimistic about the future, saying he planned to spend Xmas watching basketball and spending time with his daughter, Faith.

If Tommy "Tiny" Lister died from COVID-19 -- as people close to him suspect -- it would have been his second bout with it, because TMZ's learned he fought it off months before his death.

The "Friday" star's rep, Cindy Cowan, tells TMZ ... "Tiny" tested positive around 4 months ago. He had many of the common symptoms ... he felt lethargic and struggled breathing, but his diabetes also made him high risk. She says he wasn't hospitalized but quarantined at home.

Fast forward to December 3 ... Cindy tells us Tommy was supposed to visit her home, but instead, he called and informed her he was feeling those painfully familiar COVID symptoms again.

She says he felt it was probably best for him NOT to enter her home out of fear of spreading whatever he had. Tommy's cause of death has not yet been determined ... but we've learned he feared he had contracted the coronavirus again.

TMZ broke the story ... Tommy sadly died the following week after the L.A. County Sheriff's Department conducted a welfare check and found him dead. Friends had been concerned when they hadn't heard from him since Wednesday night.

Tommy had been feeling so ill ... he was forced to cancel his first day of filming Sunday for a new movie with Sam Worthington. He also canceled a Zoom panel Tuesday.

He'd recently told Cowan he wanted to be one of the first in line to get the vaccine when it rolls out later this month. He just wanted things to go back to normal as much as possible ... and spend time with his daughter, Faith.

At this moment, it's unclear what funeral arrangements will be made, but look for some sort of celebration of life in early January, if possible.

Matthew Morrison probably thinks fans who saw his performance in "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" have hearts 2 sizes too small ... 'cause they're going off about his hyper-sexual take on the Grinch.

The "Glee" star drenched himself in the green getup for Wednesday night's musical on NBC, but instead of softening hearts around the world, things got strange.

With lots of moaning, heavy breathing and come hither stares into the camera ... many viewers felt MM went bizarrely overboard with his portrayal.

You could almost hear people at home screaming, "That's a no for me, dawg" ... which is a pretty good summary of the Twitter reviews. One viewer even said, "Sending matthew morrison the bill for all the therapy i’ll need after watching his bizarrely sexual interpretation of the grinch."

After the show, Matthew posted a video of himself taking off his makeup while singing "For Good" from the popular play, "Wicked."

Nice PR move, but it still didn't distract fans from taking out their frustrations. Some of them included concerned parents who said their kids had nightmares.

As one unhappy customer put it, "matthew morrison doing an incredibly cursed rendition of the grinch is the most fitting way to end this wretched year imo, we r in hell."

The house featured in "A Christmas Story" is normally a tourist hot spot during the holidays, but this year business is hurting as much as getting your tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole.

Folks running A Christmas Story House & Museum -- the Cleveland residence used for exterior shots of Ralphie's home in the 1983 classic -- tell TMZ ... they're projected to have about 50,000 less visitors compared to 2019.

On top of that, the home -- which guests can reserve for an overnight stay and sleep in Ralphie and Randy's beds -- is still available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ... which we're told is unprecedented.

Since the place began allowing overnight reservations in 2008, it's usually booked for November and December 6 months in advance ... even though it costs nearly $3k per night!!!

But, with COVID-19 cases surging, stay-at-home orders and financial struggles for families across the country ... 2020's put the 'Christmas Story' business in a difficult spot too.

The good news is ... the museum's online gift shop is helping make up for some of the losses in tour and lodging revenue this year.

We're told the shop's sold around 14,000 different variations of the movie's famous leg lamp, 1,000 pink bunny suits, and a couple hundred Red Ryder BB Guns ... and there are plenty more in stock.