Movies

L.Q. Jones -- a versatile character actor whose career dates back to the 1950s -- has died.

His death was confirmed by his family, who says he passed of natural causes in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by loved ones ... this according to Variety.

Jones had over 160 acting credits to his name, with his first several coming in the year 1955 -- when he starred in military-inspired flicks like "An Annapolis Story," "Battle Cry" and "Target Zero." He also appeared in a few episodes of the western-themed TV show "Cheyenne."

From there, LQJ was on a roll ... with acting in a number of films and TV series like "Annie Oakley," "Gunsight Ridge," "Operation Mad Ball," "Buchanan Rides Alone," "The Naked and the Dead," "Jefferson Drum," "Men of Annapolis," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" and more.

Flip-flopping between war and westerns, Jones stayed busy in the '60s. Some of the more popular titles he was in ... "Lassie," "Klondike," "Laramie," "Perry Mason," "Route 66," "Wagon Train," "Rawhide," "The Virginian," "Gunsmoke" and "The Big Valley" ... just to name a few.

Other hit shows in which he had guest-starring roles included, "Hawaii Five-O," "Charlie's Angels," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," "CHiPs," "Columbo," "Cannon," "The Runaways," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and lots of others. He even starred in "The Incredible Hulk," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The A-Team," "Renegade," "The Yellow Rose" and more throughout the '80s/'90s.

He'll also probably be remembered for his work on "The Wild Bunch," "Major Dundee," "Ride the High Country" and "A Boy and His Dog" -- the latter of which he wrote and directed.

Jones also had a memorable scene in Martin Scorsese's "Casino." While the guy certainly had already carved out a name for himself before the turn of the century, millennials might actually recognize him as well thanks to a cult classic from the late '90s.

Indeed, Jones plays the Legendary Three-Fingered Jack in "The Mask of Zorro" -- where he had a scene-stealing moment in which he was shot and killed mid-air ... this after being ejected from a mineshaft cart and flying toward a group of bad guys with a pickax.

Jones was 94.

Anthony Mackie is set to take up the mantle as the new Captain America in his own movie, but on speculation over whether Chris Evans might reprise the role ... he says, no chance.

News about Mackie starring in a forthcoming 'Captain America 4' flick surfaced this week, with director Julius Onah reportedly attached to direct. This, of course, comes on the heels of Mackie's Disney+ show -- which ends with him accepting the CA shield.

You'd think that conclusion -- which was made very clear on the show, this after Evans' character, Steve Rogers, had already passed the torch at the end of 'Endgame' -- wouldn't be up for debate ... but apparently, among some fans, it is. And, THR alluded to that in a thread.

In response to uncertainty about Evans' possible involvement with the new movie and the character, CE himself weighed in Saturday ... writing, "Sam Wilson is Captain America."

The reason that's a big deal ... it seems to shut down trolls who, to this day, aren't cool with the idea of Mackie carrying on as the titular superhero -- a controversy that's been brewing since 2019 when he was officially tapped as Chris Evans' successor.

A lot of the pushback over AM has been straight-up racist ... with many saying a Black guy simply shouldn't be allowed to assume the role (even though that happens in the comics).

Now, Chris appears to be confirming he's done with 'Captain America,' and that Mackie will exclusively continue as the character ... without Chris's involvement going forward. Frankly, that makes sense logistically -- Evans is depicted as an old dude in the final 'Avengers' movie ... so to jam him into the plot, beyond just a cameo, feels unlikely/unnecessary.

BTW, Mackie as the new Captain America carries a lot of weight. It's revealed on the show -- based on an earlier comic series, which is canon -- that the fictionalized history behind Captain America is dark, with the U.S. government testing/perfecting the super serum giving him his powers on Black soldiers while Cap was under ice. So, technically, Captain America was built on the backs of Black people ... a metaphor to our own real-life history, some say.

Britney Spears is again bemoaning the fact that she's been the subject of documentaries and TV specials of late -- saying she considers it grade-A bullying by Corporate America.

The pop star posted lengthy thoughts about this on Saturday, which she's addressed before. She writes, in part ... "I feel like America has done a wonderful job at humiliating me," going on to explain that when she was in the conservatorship ... she'd apparently be forced to walk to her car from the airport, on purpose, so that paps could get a ton of shots of her.

Britney's words here are a bit all over the place, but her gripe seems to be with old paparazzi photos -- some of which she thinks are unflattering -- being resurfaced in docs and specials that have aired in the past couple years ... including on Hulu, Netflix and CNN.

On the issue of so much coverage of her now, she adds ... "I've never felt more bullied in my life in this country it's insane ... and come on seriously is it honestly legal to do that many documentaries about someone without their blessing at all??!"

Then, Britney invokes some celebrity names as examples of people who never get this amount of press and analysis without their permission or participation -- including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.

She also says the idea these specials are "helping her" are misguided, suggesting that rehashing this ancient history is embarrassing. BS also appears to believe that most of these docs focus on what led to the conservatorship rather than what she went through while actually in it ... the reality of which she says was far worse than what's been depicted.

The weird thing ... the above-mentioned outlets seem to be the only ones with big docs/specials that have been done about Britney, and the last one came out in fall of last year -- so it's unclear why Brit's talking about this now and what might be triggering her.

What Britney also doesn't seem to understand is this ... her story isn't over, as she and her legal team are continuing to go after her dad, Jamie Spears, and seem dead set on holding him accountable for what they say he put her through during the conservatorship.

Plus, she hasn't done a proper sit-down with anyone yet ... so the intrigue isn't going away anytime soon, especially as she continues to make headlines with her personal life.

Of course, Britney might just be biding her time to fully tell her story in her own words ... probably until she can finish her tell-all book, which she reportedly struck a deal to write to the tune of at least $15 million. In light of that, we're sure she'll speak up eventually.

Armie Hammer is indeed working as a timeshare salesman in the Cayman Islands ... the actor was heard pitching the benefits of owning property in the beautiful vacation spot.

Armie is very much in salesman mode ... you see him sitting with a couple and going over pricing for a unit.

A prospective buyer in the office says Armie was outlining a plan that would cost $2,020 per week ... or, as the "Social Network" star put it, only about $21,000 for 10 years of vacations!

Armie delivered that sales pitch last month. Vacationing couples were enticed to go to the timeshare office through a flyer that promised discounts for excursions on the island.

As we reported, Armie was spotted outside the office in late June after reports he was working there ... Armie's rep told us he had a friend who worked at the resort, but didn't know whether or not Armie was showing or selling timeshares.

Megan Fox is proving there are no hard feelings with Brian Austin Green by sending a gift to her ex-husband and his girlfriend, Sharna Burgess, to celebrate their first child together.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Megan sent a floral arrangement to Brian and Sharna, who welcomed their baby boy Zane Walker Green, last Tuesday.

Megan's been supportive of Brian and Sharna's relationship, and clearly, the same is true of their venture into parenthood. We're told the couple got a few dozen flowers in a white, floral arrangement with a card that said, “Congratulations Brian and Sharna”.

For what it's worth ... the card and flowers were only from Megan. MGK's John Hancock wasn't on the delivery.

You might remember ... a couple months into dating Brian, Sharna reportedly called Megan -- who shares 3 children with Brian -- to talk about co-parenting and being around their kids. Apparently, that went a long way with Megan.

Obviously, the couple is on really good terms with Megan, and we're told they were thrilled with her thoughtful gesture.

As we reported ... Sharna and Brian announced they were expecting back in February, with a photo shoot in Hawaii. And, in May, Sharna sold her Hollywood Hills home to move in with Brian.

Brian got together with Sharna shortly after his divorce from Megan ... who had already moved on with her now-fiance, Machine Gun Kelly.

Amber Heard wants her insurance company to cover a portion of the verdict Johnny Depp won against her, but the insurance co. says Amber's own conduct allows them to tell her to pound sand.

Here's the deal. Amber had a $1 million liability policy with New York Marine and General Insurance Co. The policy covers all sorts of wrongful conduct, including defamation ... but there's a catch.

The governing law for the insurance policy is California, and under California law, an insurance company is not on the hook if the insured (Amber) committed wrongful, "WILLFUL" misconduct. New York Marine says not only did the jury find the defamation Amber committed was willful, it was malicious.

Tony Sirico, one of the main stars of "The Sopranos," is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Tony played Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, one of Tony Soprano's main guys for every season of the HBO hit show. His brother Robert announced his passing on Facebook saying "It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico wishes to inform you of his death."

Robert says Tony passed Friday morning. Sources connected to the family tell us Tony had been living in an assisted living home in Fort Lauderdale, FL for a couple years, and had been in failing health.

Of course, Tony will be most remembered for his 'Sopranos' role -- he won 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast.

Fun fact: He'd actually auditioned for the role of Tony Soprano's Uncle Junior -- which, of course, ultimately went to Dominic Chianese. Instead, David Chase gave him the Paulie role. He had one rule about his acting gigs ... he never played "rats."

He also got a lot of voice acting roles on animated hits like "Family Guy" and "American Dad" -- and played a mobster or gangster in tons of movies, including "Goodfellas," "Mighty Aphrodite," "Gotti," "Cop Land" and "Mickey Blue Eyes."

Sirico was a big supporter of the U.S. military -- he and James Gandolfini once traveled to Iraq for a rally for the troops there. He continued to support the Wounded Warrior Project organization too.

He's survived by his 2 children, Joanne and Richard, several grandchildren and his siblings.

Tony was 79.

Amber Heard's lawyers have just filed new documents, further detailing their claim that one of the jurors deceived the court by pretending to be the person who was actually summoned.

The new docs claim a jury summons went to a Virginia home where 2 people with the same name reside. The document says the person summoned is 77 years old, but the person who actually showed up for jury service is 52.

Now the docs say both people share the same last name. It would seem they must also share the first name as well, because it would be a big red flag to the court if the first names were different. The document does not address the first name.

In any event, Amber's lawyers say this was a fraud on the court because the 52-year-old never should have served on the jury, but apparently wanted to do so.

As you know, that juror, as well as the others, all sided with Johnny Depp on his defamation claim ... in Virginia, a unanimous verdict is required.

Gregory Itzin, star of "24," "NCIS" and several other huge TV hits, has died ... according to a close friend and co-worker.

Gregory played U.S. Prez Charles Logan for 6 years on "24" ... a brilliant role, alongside Kiefer Sutherland, that earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

Sorry for the spoiler (it's been more than 10 years, though), but Itzin's villain turn in the series is pretty epic.

"24" executive producer Jon Cassar shared the news of Gregory's death Friday morning on Twitter, saying "He was one of the most talented actors I had the honor to work with, but more than that he was an all around great guy. He'll be missed by his 24 family who had nothing but love & respect for him."

Itzin went on to nab roles on "NCIS" -- as Director Charlie for several seasons -- "The Mentalist," "Judging Amy" and "Star Trek: Enterprise" ... where he played Admiral Black.

He even had a bit role in the Phoebe wedding episodes of "Friends."

Gregory is survived by his wife Judie and their 2 children.

He was 74.

Israel Adesanya is taking aim at Chris Pratt after the actor criticized him for his performance at UFC 276 ... calling the 'Jurassic World' star "just some fan" and sharing a video of him getting hit in the mouth.

Adesanya unleashed the clap back on his Twitter page early Wednesday morning -- nearly four days after Pratt said he was underwhelmed by the fighter's effort against Jared Cannonier on Saturday night.

"Good morning," Adesanya wrote while sharing a video of Pratt getting smacked by a keyboard in the famous Angelina Jolie flick, "Wanted."

"I’m the man. You’re just some fan."

Pratt initially kicked off the unlikely beef following Adesanya's win over Cannonier, saying on a post-fight show that he wasn't impressed by the way the MMA star fought after days of trash talk.

“I don't know this game -- I'm just an actor, but I'm not a fan, man," Pratt said. "I’m not a fan of coming out like all that talk, and then just kind of putting on a little bit of a pitter-patter. I’m like, 'C’mon, man. You’ve got to cash on that promise of being so badass.'"

Of course, Adesanya clearly isn't all that bothered by Pratt's barbs ... the 23-1 fighter was seen partying his ass off without a care in the world at XS Nightclub in Vegas following his big win.

We're told Adesanya -- alongside Alexander Volkanovski, Nate Diaz, "Rampage" Jackson, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou -- celebrated for a while at the venue ... and even rubbed elbows with Bengals superstar Joe Burrow.

James Caan, the legendary actor made famous for his roles in films like "The Godfather," "Brian's Song" has died.

This was just posted on James' Twitter account -- "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."

Caan's breakout role came in 1972, when he played Sonny on "The Godfather." He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe.

He reprised the role in 'Godfather II.'

Before 'Godfather' Caan played Brian Piccolo in "Brian's Song."

James was in numerous movies ... including "Misery," "Dick Tracy" and "Elf."

Caan was born in the Bronx ... the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany. His dad was a butcher.

James played football at Michigan State University.

Caan was a fixture at the Playboy Mansion in the '70s and '80s ... he loved to party and was never shy about speaking his mind.

He has 5 kids, including Scott, an actor himself who starred in "Hawaii Five-0."

James was married most recently to Linda Stokes from 1995-2009.

James was 82.

Armie Hammer seems to have himself a little side gig in the Cayman Islands -- or at least he's spending a bunch of time at a resort and even giving tours ... according to a witness.

This photo shows the actor in a light blue polo and blue pants, looking very much like a staffer as he walks into one of the resort offices.

Now, according to a timeshare resident ... Armie's been in the office several hours a day, and is often seen going outside for smoking breaks.

You might have heard about the flyer that popped up on Twitter Wednesday -- it has Armie's face and says he's a "personal concierge" to incoming tourists.

AH has laughed off the flyer and says it's not legit.

While that might be, the witness claims he did show at least one family around a timeshare on the resort property. TMZ's also confirmed Armie has a friend who works at the resort -- so, it's possible he's just helping out a buddy, or simply doing something to fill his time.

Either way, the guy seems to be fully settled into island life.

He moved to Cayman during the pandemic and had been quarantining there with his 2 children and now-ex-wife Elizabeth. The couple filed for divorce in July 2020, and while Elizabeth left with their kids, Armie's remained on the Caribbean island.

Amber Heard's getting a small shot at redemption -- not in court, but in a wrestling ring where, you guessed it ... Mini Johnny Depp squares off against Mini Amber!!!

Yeah, they might be testing the limits of the world's fascination with the bitter exes, but Wednesday night the good folks at Micromania M****t Wrestling put on their version of the defamation trial at the Whisky A Go-Go ... complete with a Mini Camille Vasquez in Johnny's corner.

Ya can't knock the theater of it all -- Amber entered the ring to the Buckcherry hit, "Crazy Bitch," and Johnny swashbuckled in to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme.

As for the ring action ... well, you really just gotta see it, but here's a short summary: Both minis get in their shots, with Amber delivering the most humiliating blow. As the ring announcer so eloquently put it, "She wiped s**t on his face! What the f**k?!?"

Poetry.

Anyway, just like in the Fairfax courthouse, Johnny came out on top ... delivering a Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka finishing move, and then pinning Mini Amber. Mini Camille even got in a parting shot.

Movie gunfire that has been a staple on the big screen for decades is way more problematic these days -- given the fear those sounds generate during production -- but TMZ has learned the LAPD will continue to allow movie shoots in public areas that involve gunfire.

A law enforcement source at LAPD's Film Unit -- which issues permits to shoot movies in Hollywood and surrounding areas -- tells TMZ, there are no plans to limit shooting scenes in public places.

The LAPD will not publicly comment on its rationale ... but in the wake of the massacres in Highland Park, Uvalde, Buffalo and hundreds of other cities this year alone, there's no doubt the sound of gunshots strikes fear in anyone within earshot.

You can see clearly from celebrations during the 4th of July in Orlando -- where fireworks went off and people scrambled thinking it was gunfire -- just how terrified and on edge people are.

Nevertheless, there's no current plan in L.A. to limit productions that use weapons and the sounds of gunshots while filming in public.

We attempted to find out if any such productions have outstanding permits for movie shootouts, but records are not readily available.

Hayden Panettiere is opening up for the first time about a secret addiction to opioids and alcohol ... saying it took a huge toll on her life and career.

The "Nashville" star, in an interview on "Good Morning America," says she struggled with substance abuse, as well as a battle with postpartum depression after having her 7-year-old daughter, Kaya, saying, "I was on top of the world and I ruined it."

Hayden says at one point, her addiction to alcohol got so bad that she was hospitalized, suffering from jaundice, and the docs warned her liver was going to give out. Now, she says, trauma therapy and inpatient treatment over the last year has brought her to a place of peace ... but it's taken a lot of work.

As a childhood star, she says someone on her team gave her "happy pills" before she appeared on red carpets, "They were to make me peppy during interviews. I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."

She says as the addiction got worse, she did have one place of sobriety, "My saving grace is that I couldn't be messy while on set and working ... But, things kept getting out of control [off set]. And, as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without."

Brad Pitt has pissed off a lot of people, so he says, because he fails to recognize them ... but Brad says he believes he suffers from a medical condition called face blindness.

Brad has talked about this struggle in the past ... he just can't recognize people by looking at their faces -- even family members.

The condition is called prosopagnosia ... in lay terms, face blindness. About 2 and a half percent of the population suffers from it in varying degrees. Some researchers have theorized the condition is brought on by underdevelopment in the womb.

Brad has said over the years he's taken a lot of heat by people who felt he was aloof and self-absorbed ... because he didn't care enough about other people to remember them. Brad tells GQ, "Nobody believes me!"

The 58-year-old actor says he's never gone for an official diagnosis, but he's confident he has the condition.

As for how people with the affliction deal ... they use other markers to ID friends, family and associates ... it could be the way they walk, their voice, etc.

Brad told Esquire back in 2013, "So many people hate me because they think I'm disrespecting them."

Brad was brutally honest about lots of things in the interview, including the heartache he felt after the collapse of his marriage to Angelina Jolie and the bitter divorce that followed. He said, "I think all our hearts are broken ... I always felt very alone in my life, alone growing up as a kid, alone even out here, and it's really not till recently that I have had a greater embrace of my friends and family."

Brad is clean and sober, having spent 18 months in AA. He's also cut out cigarettes.