Pockets in 'Hook' 'Memba Him?!
Chicago-born child actor Isaiah Robinson was only 8 years old when he took on the role of the little lost boy Pockets -- who spots the Pan inside of Peter and delivers the classic line "Oh, there you are Peter" -- in Steven Spielberg's 1991 fantasy film "Hook."
Isaiah Robinson shared the big screen with an impressive list of actors including Dante Basco as Rufio, Julia Roberts as the fast-fluttering, Tinker Bell, Dustin Hoffman as the kid-stealing, Captain Hook ... and of course Robin Williams as the lost boy leader turned lawyer, Peter Banning ... a.k.a. Peter Pan.
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ROCKMOND DUNBAR Sues Disney, 20th Television Over '9-1-1' Vaccine Exit
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1:02 PM PT -- A rep for 20th Television tells TMZ, "To ensure safe working environments at our productions we have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process. While we will not comment on any one individual, each request for exemption is given a thorough review and we grant accommodations consistent with our legal obligations. There are no differences in our process or decision-making based on an employee’s race.”
Rockmond Dunbar is taking Disney and 20th Television to federal court over his ouster from "9-1-1" ... accusing the studios of discriminating against him based on his race and religion.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Rockmond claims he was the only Black male lead actor on the TV show and his dismissal severely damaged his career.
In the docs, Rockmond claims he submitted paperwork seeking both a religious and medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine, and says producers assured him they wanted him to remain on the show and his schedule would be adjusted to accommodate him being unvaccinated.
Instead, Rockmond claims he was barred from the set and assured his character's storyline would show him leaving temporarily, keeping open the possibility for him to return down the road.
But Rockmond claims that never happened either ... in his suit, he says Disney and 20th Television fired him in retaliation and refused to pay him the hundreds of thousands of dollars he says he's still owed.
What's more, Rockmond claims the studios not only refused to accommodate his vaccine exemption requests, but also deliberately made it sound like he was an anti-vaxxer ... and he says he essentially became persona non grata in Hollywood.
Rockmond's going after the studios for money, and he wants an injunction barring the studios from discriminating against anyone based on race or religion when it comes to vaccination policies.
We reached out to Disney and 20th Television ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 9:11 AM PT
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Rams Parents Hilariously Hungover At Disney ... After Super Bowl
The happiest place on Earth was the most hungover place on Earth on Monday ... 'cause the Los Angeles Rams' visit to Disneyland looked absolutely miserable for everyone who drank the night away after the Super Bowl.
Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, posted video of how it REALLY looks to hit up Disneyland fresh off celebrating a championship ... showing all the young kids having a blast -- and the parents riding the struggle bus (in this case, the Merry-Go-Round).
FYI -- the Staffords have 4 kids under 5 years old. Can you imagine rounding up the bunch with a splitting headache?!?
Of course, it's tradition for newly-crowned champs to hit up Disney ... but as we reported, the Rams were partying it up with Gunna until around 4 AM after the game.
Somehow, Matthew, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald were able to throw on a smile for the festivities ... with the trio getting the parade treatment.
The trio joined Mickey Mouse for the event ... hangin' on a Rams float waving at hundreds of fans while traveling through the confetti-filled theme park.
Donald even got to meet his fellow Donald -- Donald Duck -- and Cooper posed for some pics with some superheroes.
The fun doesn't end here -- the Rams get to celebrate again with another parade in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Rest up, Rams ... and drink some Pedialyte.
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Dylan Postl Peter Dinklage Taking Woke Too Far!!! ... By Criticizing 'Snow White' Remake
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Dylan Postl is NOT here for Peter Dinklage's hot take on the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" remake. Dylan says that the esteemed actor took things waaay too far... and as a result, he's actually hurting the dwarf community.
We caught up with the actor and former WWE wrestler Wednesday, and he doubled down on his stance, saying the fairytale remake actually gives 7 real-life people in the dwarf community a chance to star in a movie. He says getting work is elusive for these actors, so such roles are not only important ... they're life-sustaining.
Dylan says Peter's actually taking roles away from dwarfs and the little people community by being so critical ... the studios might back off such projects.
ICYMI, Disney decided to remake 'Snow White.' The "Game of Thrones" star had a lot to say about it. Peter said, on the one hand, Disney made a progressive move by casting Rachel Zegler, who's Latina, as the lead ... but on the other, Disney was tone-deaf when it came to its depiction of the 7 dwarfs.
Peter described the story as f***ing backwards"... and criticized Disney's portrayals of the dwarfs as primitive creatures who live in a cave. Turns out, they actually live in a cottage in the woods, but regardless ... he was not happy.
That's very different than Dylan's take -- he says there's absolutely no issue with how they're portrayed. He adds the dwarfs worked, had a lot of gems and were very dynamic ... as opposed to all checking one box.
Dylan took a slight jab at Peter, who didn't have much to say when he was cast as a dwarf in "Elf" or 'GOT' ... so Dylan feels it's disingenuous for him to be so vocal now.
As for Disney, Dylan says he's happy to jump into one of these roles or share them with his friends in the little people community.
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Brad Williams on 'Snow White' Dink's Right, Story Sucks ... But Disney Can Do Right by Dwarfs!!!
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Peter Dinklage thinks ‘Snow White’ has a little person problem, and while Brad Willams doesn’t disagree ... he does have some suggestions on how to make it work.
We talked to the comedian/actor -- who was born with dwarfism himself -- and he gave us his take on Dinklage ripping Disney for what he sees as a fundamental issue with the story of SW and its depiction of dwarfs.
Check it out ... Brad says he isn’t here to refute Pete one iota, because he actually concurs ... ‘Snow White’ is problematic as it stands. However, he hits us with some solutions on how to make it even more progressive than what Disney’s done so far in the casting ... i.e. Rachel Zegler, a Latina, in the title role.
In Brad’s happily ever after, the princess actually ends up with one of the cottage dwellers!!! Watch ... he rattles off some impressive reasons for Happy and co. to play love interests for Snow. Yes, stand-up is Brad's thing, but we think he's only half joking here and makes some solid points. His way, everyone wins ... at least that’s how BW sees it.
On a more serious note, Brad discusses how Hollywood needs to do a better job for little people in the biz, noting that Dinklage is NOT killing roles for other actor’s by saying what he said. That responsibility, Brad argues, ultimately lies with producers and writers ... who should look to be more inclusive in their scripts.
One last thing ... Disney has come out and said it's going a different route with the 7 dwarfs for the upcoming film, one which they say won’t harp on stereotypes the OG animated feature played up.
Dinklage still might not be convinced, but if the Mouse House listens to Brad here -- there might be a way to please all in 2022.
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Peter Dinklage Slams Woke 'Snow White' Reboot ... Calls it 'Backwards' Story
2:22 PM PT -- Disney has responded, saying "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period."
Peter Dinklage thinks Disney going woke for "Snow White" misses the mark entirely -- ‘cause the story itself is offensive, especially toward little people.
The "Game of Thrones" star -- who was born with a form of dwarfism -- slammed the reboot that’s in the works right now ... telling Marc Maron on his podcast that he thinks the Mouse House is being hypocritical and disingenuous.
On the one hand, Dinklage says they’re clearly trying to be progressive by casting Rachel Zegler, who’s Latina, as Snow White ... but by the same token, he explains they’re still making a movie based on a "f**king backwards" story.
PD goes on to mention the fairy tale is, in essence, about seven dwarves who are painted as primitive and mystical creatures, saying they live in a "cave" ... which isn’t quite right (they live in a cottage in the woods) but ya get his point.
Of course, Snow White has also been called ableist over the years ... especially as it relates to Dopey, who’s portrayed as a naive idiot. In fact, all the dwarves are treated as children by SW, both in the movie and the OG fairy tale, which is what Dink’s beef really seems to be about.
He says, "Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough." Seems like he's half-kidding here, but still ... you can tell he's irked by this.
As you may know by now, Dinklage has made a name for himself over the past decade-plus ... turning in award-winning dramatic performances -- and really paving the way for little people to be taken seriously as actors.
Sounds like he thinks Disney is simply out to appease one group of people with their new take on "Snow White," but completely ignoring another ... and coming off as tone-deaf in the process.
Originally Published -- 8:32 AM PT
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Rawle D. Lewis I Want A 'Cool Runnings' Reboot ... With Lupita Nyong'o
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"Cool Runnings" actor Rawle D. Lewis says it's time for a reboot of the classic 1993 film -- telling TMZ Sports it should represent the Jamaican women's bobsled team this time around ... and Lupita Nyong'o should have the starring role.
Of course, the OG flick was a Disney adaptation of the story of the Jamaican bobsled team's appearance in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Lewis tells us he wants to see the story hit the silver screen again -- with the focus on the women's team.
"People don't realize that women [bobsledders] also did well," the Cool Runnings actor told us this week. "I think the reboot might be like the whole women doing their thing."
And, Lewis is shooting for the stars with his idea ... saying he'd love to pass the "Cool Runnings" torch to Nyong'o.
"She can play anything," RDL says.
The whole movie convo came up after we spoke to Lewis about the four-man Jamaican bobsled team that made it to the 2022 Winter Olympics for the first time in 24 years.
RDL played Junior Bevil in the OG flick ... and he's ecstatic about the real team making it back to the Games.
"I was watching it and I was like, 'God, that is so f**king amazing,'" RDL said.
"There's no snow in Jamaica. Like, none! Like, I don't know if people understand the concept of what they're able to accomplish here, but that's amazing."
Lewis also tells us that he's definitely down to go to the Games -- which start on Feb. 4 -- and show the Jamaican squad some love.
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Rico on 'Hannah Montana' 'Memba Him?!
New York City native Moises Arias was only 12 years old when his celeb status topped the charts after he took on the wacky role of Rico Suave -- the cool younger classmate who hangs at Seaview High and beachside in his concession stand-- on the crazy popular Disney sitcom "Hannah Montana" back in 2006!
Arias shared the sweet show with some big names including Emily Osment as the BFF, Lilly Truscott ... and of course Miley Cyrus as the Tennessee transplant making music in malibu, Miley Stewart ... AKA Hannah Montana.
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Russell Westbrook Enjoys Day W/ Family At Disneyland
Russell Westbrook isn't letting the Lakers' early-season struggles put a damper on his spirit ... 'cause the SoCal native hit up the Happiest Place on Earth with his wife and kids.
The Lakers -- who last played Friday against the Clippers -- had the weekend off ... providing Russ the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with the fam.
Westbrook and his wife, Nina, took their kids to Disneyland in Anaheim on Sunday ... where they enjoyed some rides at the famous theme park. And yes, they had delicious Churros too.
The Lakers star rode the Radiator Spring Racers, where he sat in the front row (photo below). The 33-year-old also hit up the new Web Slingers Spider-Man attraction in the new California Adventures Park's Marvel Land.
The former UCLA product has been all smiles since being traded to his hometown Lakers ... despite a season that has been mired with inconsistency due to injuries and lack of chemistry.
Of course, Russ isn't the first celebrity to grace Disneyland with his presence. A host of A-list stars like Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Halle Berry, Mario Lopez, Nick Cannon and Trey Songz have visited the park.
Disney was also a favorite of Kobe Bryant over the years ... who LOVED the park.
Russ and the Lakeshow look to get back in the win column when they take on the Celtics Tuesday at Staples.
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'Peter Pan & Wendy' Ever Anderson 'Make-Believe' is Worth 6 Figures!!! Could Make More in Sequels
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There's a new Peter Pan movie that's about to take to the skies next year -- and wouldn't you know it ... their lead Wendy is getting paid handsomely, especially for her age!
Actress Ever Anderson, who's just 14 years old, stands to make at least six figures for her work on Disney's "Peter Pan & Wendy" flick ... a new live-action spin on the classic fairy tale that's due out sometime in 2022.
Like we said ... EA is playing a young Wendy Darling, PP's love interest and the oldest of the Darling children who join Peter on an adventure to Never Land. Unclear if there's a whole lot new or different they're doing this time around ... other than just rebooting the franchise.
In any case, TMZ got a hold of her minor's contract filed with the court -- which spells out what Ever is raking in for this movie ... as well as any sequels that get greenlit. For this film, she's guaranteed $100k ... and there's even a $50k bonus on the table if the movie is released straight to Disney+ without a theatrical run first.
Looks like Disney may have learned its lesson after the ScarJo and "Black Widow" fiasco and is addressing this scenario in the contract.
That's about all there is to be had for this first installment, but if a sequel comes about ... Ever's contract says she could earn at least $200k guaranteed on the next go-around, and if they're in the mood for part 3 -- it'd be a cool $400k right out the gate ... not to mention any bonuses that could be attached to those respective projects.
Bottom line here ... Wendy can, indeed, fly after this -- and she can do it first-class, or even private if she wants. Dreams do come true! 💸
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Stella on 'Jonas' 'Memba Her?!
Arizona actor Chelsea Kane Staub was only 21 years old when she locked in the role as the sharp-dressed stylist Stella Malone -- who keeps the brothers looking good as a childhood friend -- on the 2009 Disney Channel Original Series "Jonas," as well as, "Jonas L.A."
Chels shared the short-run show with some growing talent including Nicole Anderson who plays Stella's best friend and the fan club president, Macy Misa .. and of course the triple threat trio Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas as the title characters.
Check out what Chelsea Kane Staub looks like now at 33 years old!
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Trish on 'Austin & Ally' 'Memba Her?!
Lone Star state actor Raini Rodriguez was still a teenager when she locked in the role as the spunky best friend Trish -- who also acts as the musical manager while alongside the up-and-coming artist tackling the entertainment industry -- in the classic Disney sitcom "Austin & Ally."
RR shared the screen with the Disney duo Ross Lynch as the awesome music maker, Austin Moon ... and Laura Marano as the brainy singer, Ally Dawson.
Fun Fact: Raini's brother is Rico Rodriguez ... who is well known for his role as Sofia Vergara's son Manny on "Modern Family.
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Buzz Lightyear Tim Allen Snub is No Diss to His Politics
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Tim Allen's political beliefs didn't play a factor in the re-casting of his signature Buzz Lightyear character -- Disney honchos simply believed the character needed a fresh voice for a new storyline ... TMZ has learned.
Many folks were confused this week when the Mouse House announced its beloved "Toy Story" character would have a new voice a la Chris Evans. Fans speculated Tim Allen's political beliefs, namely his support for former President Donald Trump, might've had something to do with the new casting.
We've spoken to sources with direct knowledge who tell us Disney has no issue with Tim or with his political leanings. The new movie, "Lightyear" is about the real astronaut that toy Buzz is based on, and to have the same voice wouldn't make sense.
In fact, our sources say Tim Allen still works with Disney on various "Toy Story" projects when they come up involving the OG Buzz ... another indicator there's no beef.
Our source says it's still unclear if Tim's seen the new trailer, or if he'll see the movie when it drops, but he stands behind Disney to infinity ... and beyond.
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Chris Evans Young Buzz Lightyear Role Political Shot at Tim Allen?!? 🤔
There's a new Buzz Lightyear in town -- a younger one, more flesh than plastic -- and he's being played by Chris Evans ... sparking a convo about whether Tim Allen was stiffed over politics.
Disney just released the trailer for their 'Toy Story' prequel, titled simply "Lightyear," and it's all about Buzz's origin story -- before he was reimagined as an action figure, it seems.
I’m covered in goosebumps. And will be every time I watch this trailer. Or hear a Bowie song. Or have any thought whatsoever between now and July cause nothing has ever made me feel more joy and gratitude than knowing I’m a part of this and it’s basically always on my mind
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 27, 2021 @ChrisEvans
💙🚀💫 pic.twitter.com/bq5573GcrM
Like we said, CE was cast to voice the character -- and while we don't hear him talk much in this teaser, he does utter a word at the end that gives a glimpse of what he'll sound like. Frankly, it's very Allen-esque, which begs the question ... why not just tap TA again???
That's what's at debate here, and there are different POVs on the matter. For one, some are happy to be done with the Tim Allen-Buzz Lightyear era ... calling Chris an "upgrade." Part of the reasoning behind that though is political, as the amateur critics don't like Tim's political views.
Chris Evans voicing Buzz Lightyear instead of Tim Allen is an upgrade. Sorry, not sorry.
— Rob M. | Tokkan (@tokkanram) October 27, 2021 @tokkanram
As you know, Tim's a proud conservative, and in recent years he's had to deal with some backlash in largely liberal Hollywood for it -- especially in the Trump era. So it makes ya wonder ... if Tim was a liberal, would people be so happy to discard him???
There's another take, which is the flick captures Buzz's younger years, so it makes sense he'd have a slightly different, younger-sounding voice -- so, it might not be a political cheap shot at all.
One way to truly gauge this might be if Woody gets a prequel, and Tom Hanks gets the cowboy boot for a new voice actor. If so, then this would not be shade at Tim -- but if they stuck with Tom ... you'd have to say something's amiss.
To infinity ... and beyond the pale???
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Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars' 'Memba Him?!
Canadian actor Hayden Christensen was in his early 20s when he took on the role of the lightsaber-swinging Jedi, Anakin Skywalker -- who trains under the apprenticeship of Obi-Wan Kenobi and fathers twins with Padme Amidala before going to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader -- in the 2002 sci-fi film "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and the 2005 follow-up "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith."
The movie masterpieces were packed with big stars including Ewan McGregor as the young version of the level-headed Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Samuel L. Jackson as the Jedi Councilman with a purple lightsaber, Mace Windu ... and of course Natalie Portman as the Naboo queen and baby mama, Padme Amidala.
Hayden has been making headlines with the announcement of his return to the franchise in 2022.
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Ernie on 'Hocus Pocus' 'Memba Him?!
California native Larry Bagby was only 19 years old when he landed the role of the candy-hungry bully Ernie -- who terrorizes the streets of Salem and even shaves his nickname "ICE" into the back of his head -- on the classic 1993 Disney family fright film "Hocus Pocus."
The iconic witchy movie is brewed up with some A-list ingredients including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and Bette Midler as the sorceress sisters Sarah, Winnie and Mary Sanderson ... and of course Tora Birch as the adorable Halloween lover, Dani Dennison.