Movies

Illinois born actor Anson Mount (full name Anson Adams Mount IV) had only been working in the entertainment biz for a few years when he landed the role of the hunky boy behind the wheel, Ben -- who takes the BFFs on a road trip and falls in love with Lucy along the way -- in the 2002 teen love story "Crossroads."

The open-road movie is packed with stars including Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning as the ride-or-die friends Kit and Mimi ... and of course the pop sisters Jamie Lynn Spears and Britney Spears as the young and current versions of the mother-seeking, Lucy.

Criss Angel could simply be celebrating his son's cancer going into remission, but instead, he wants to help other families feel the same hope and joy -- and he believes sharing Johnny's story is the best way to do that.

The famed illusionist got the great news Monday about 7-year-old Johnny, whose remission comes after he was first diagnosed at just 20-months-old. Criss captured much of his son's brave battle on camera, and joined us on "TMZ live" to talk about their new documentary "1095."

Criss tells us the 13-minute film documents the trials and tribulations his family faced with pediatric cancer ... and he knows it mirrors the experiences of so many other families. He says that's why he wants to use his platform to help people who are struggling but don't have the resources to raise awareness about this form of cancer.

Criss couldn't hold back tears as he admitted the ordeal has made him a different person. While he's still the same crazy guy onstage ... offstage he's focused on helping others in this dire situation.

After several streaming platforms rejected "1095" -- which is the number of days of chemo Johnny endured -- Criss simply posted it on his YouTube channel ... and we've included it above as well, so pass it on.

Gaspard Ulliel -- a well-known French actor and face of Chanel -- has died ... this according to his agent.

The sad news comes after word of Ulliel's involvement in a serious skiing accident in the Alps Tuesday, which left him hospitalized in Grenoble. He's said to have collided with another skier on the slopes, and suffered a devastating blow to his skull ... needing a helicopter transport.

While Ulliel was a bona fide star in his homeland, he was pretty prominent here in the States as well ... especially among horror fans, who might recognize him as a young Hannibal Lecter in the 2007 flick 'Hannibal Rising.'

He's also notable for portraying fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the biopic 'Saint Laurent,' as well as for roles over the years in projects like 'A Very Long Engagement,' 'It's Only the End of the World,' 'The Art of Love,' 'The Dancer' 'Twice Upon a Time,' 'One Nation One King' ... and many other films and TV shows, a majority of which were French.

Ulliel was also on the come-up in the Marvel world ... he's reportedly set to play the big bad guy in the upcoming 'Moon Knight' series opposite Oscar Isaac, which is currently in post-production. In addition to his on-camera work, Ulliel dabbled in the fashion and fragrance world too -- he's been the face of a men's Chanel commercial, plugging Bleu de Chanel.

He's survived by his partner, Gaëlle Piétri, and one child. Ulliel was 37.

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.

European actor Dafne Keen wasn't even a teenager when she took on the life-changing role of the genetically created mutant weapon with claws, Laura -- who's made from Logan's (Wolverine) DNA and is ultimately saved by her biological dad -- in the 2017 action-adventure finale "Logan."

DK was cast alongside some X-Men icons including Patrick Stewart as long-lost leader of the mutant team, Charles Xavier ... AKA Professor X ... and of course, hunky Hugh Jackman as the run-down retired X-Men and limo driver turned father figure, Logan .... AKA Wolverine.

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.

Louie Anderson is battling cancer ... and he's getting treatment at a Las Vegas hospital.

A rep for Louie tells TMZ ... the iconic comedian is being treated for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The type of cancer Louie has been diagnosed with is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the world ... and while it's an aggressive form of cancer, it's considered potentially curable.

The good news ... Louie's rep, Glenn Schwartz, says the comedian is resting comfortably in his hospital bed.

As you know ... Louie is famous for acting in tons of movies and TV shows, like "Coming to America" and "Baskets," and he's also got a recent standup bit about an awkward doctor's visit.

It's unclear when Louie was diagnosed.

The comedian was outspoken last year about his weight loss journey, saying he lost about 30 to 40 pounds during the pandemic and chalking it up to a new thing he was trying, intermittent fasting.

Betty White was all smiles just days before she died, as seen in a newly revealed photo ... one of the last ones to document her life, in fact.

The late actress' assistant took to Facebook Monday with a post in honor of what would've been Betty's 100th birthday, and she threw up the pic of Betty she says was snapped 11 days before BW passed away on NYE.

The caption reads, "Hello Everyone! It’s Kiersten. Betty’s Assistant. On this special day, I wanted to share this photo of Betty. It was taken on 12/20/21."

Kiersten adds, "I believe it’s one of the last photos of her. She was radiant and beautiful and as happy as ever. Thanks to all of you who are doing kind things today and every day to make the world a better place ❤️"

If her date is correct, that would mean this was captured just a few days before Betty suffered a stroke, which is what ultimately led to her death nearly a week later, per the L.A. County Medical Examiner.

It's a pretty insightful snapshot if you think about it, as it seems to be one of the final times Betty appeared on camera. Funny enough, the very next day ... Betty is said to have filmed a little thank-you for fans as part of the new movie 'Betty White: A Celebration.'

The flick, which hits theaters on Monday, is a highlight reel of her life -- and the director, Steven Boettcher, said Betty recorded her message 10 days before passing on the 31st.

Fans from all over the nation are gearing up for what would've been Betty White's 100th birthday ... joining in on a challenge encouraging fans to spread the love to animals in need and donate to local orgs.

Brittany Vizcarra from Paw Works joined us on TMZ live to pitch the "Betty White Challenge." As you know, Betty was a fierce animal rights advocate who spent her adult life tirelessly working for animal rights orgs. Brittany says this challenge is about everybody doing more -- just like Betty -- by caring for abandoned and abused animals.

Paw Works is an animal rescue org that places unwanted animals in L.A. shelters into loving homes.

Since the Betty White challenge has taken off on social media, some orgs have seen an uptick in donations ... and with the help of people like Brittany, those donations are bound to pour in all over the U.S., as the 17th approaches.

Brittany says it's super simple to "be more like Betty" ... folks can volunteer, adopt, foster or find any other way to get involved.

Montana native Vann Gravage was only 7 years old when he was cast as the cute kid version of the mischievous younger brother Paul Maclean -- who lives a life of fly fishing and adventure-seeking alongside his older brother Norman Maclean -- in Robert Redford's Academy Award-winning 1992 film "A River Runs Through It."

The coming of age classic is packed with A-list actors including Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young version of the big bro, Norman, Craig Sheffer as the adult Dartmouth grad who returns home, Norman Maclean ... and of course Brad Pitt as the hometown big fish and gambler and grown-up version of, Paul Maclean.

Well, chalk this up to, if you don't laugh you'll cry, because 'SNL' slayed with their cold open, where "President Biden" blamed COVID and pretty much every other problem plaguing on America on ... SPIDER-MAN!!!

Pete Davidson -- who's become the star of 'SNL' -- appeared in all his glory as Joe Biden in the real universe, and it's pretty hilarious.

But before that, Biden (played by James Austin Johnson) explained there's a cure for COVID, and it's not the vaccine ... simply put, "Stop seeing 'Spider-Man!'"

Biden's getting grilled like a cheeseburger at a White House news conference, connecting the dots by saying, "Now, think about it. When did ‘Spider-Man’ come out? Dec. 17. When did every single person get Omicron? The week after Dec. 17."

And then there was this advice from the Prez  ... "See anything else.” I saw the first half-hour of ‘House of Gucci.’ That’s more than enough movie for anyone."

As for how you know if you have COVID ... "You want to know if you have Covid? Look at your hand. Is it holding a ticket that says you recently went to see ‘Spider-Man’? If so, you have Covid."

Then Pete appears, baring his tattoo-covered chest and explaining why, in the real world, Biden was not President. It's funny, but treading on dangerous territory.

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."

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra know how to take a pic ... with a beach stroll, a pooch or 2 and a little PDA.

Nick and Priyanka were the picture of chill at Del Mar Dog Beach, near San Diego. They meandered on the sand for about 30 minutes as their dogs took in the sights, sounds and smells.

Folks on the beach said Nick and Priyanka were super happy, chatting most of the time as they held hands and walked with their 2 dogs. They weren't stopped by anyone ... not even sure if they were recognized. Then again, it's possible everyone stayed to themselves because of Omicron.

As you know, Nick and Priyanka got married 3 years ago last month, so it's good to know ... they haven't talked each other out!!!

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet are heading for a divorce after more than 4 years of marriage ... they're not using the word, but the message is clear ... they are "parting ways in marriage," and it sounds like COVID and all the craziness in America took its toll.

The celeb couple announced the shocking news Wednesday on social media ... with a shared statement explaining their decision to part.

Jason and Lisa say they've "felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times" ... and are "feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring." They're not specifically saying COVID, politics, division, etc. played a role, but you can read between the lines.

They say they wanted to go public so they can go about their lives with "dignity and honesty." Jason and Lisa say they are freeing each other to "be who we are learning to become."

They started dating way back in 2005 and got hitched in October 2017. They have two kids together, Lola Iolani Momoa and Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

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.

East Coast actor Chyler Leigh was still a teenager when she was cast as the nerdy girl Janey Briggs -- who has her swan moment at John Hughes High School and transforms into the school hottie -- in the super funny 2001 spoof film "Not Another Teen Movie."

Jaime Pressly as the rude cheerleader, Priscilla, Eric Christian Olsen as the bro-y best friend, Austin ... and of course Chris Evans as the hunky football star in a whip cream bikini, Jake Wyler.

Leigh can more recently be spotted on top TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Supergirl."