Movies

Here's a big shocker from señor Ben Affleck, who's breaking down his new movie, "Air" ... in perfect Spanish!!!

Ben threw social media into a tizzy Thursday as a lot of folks were shocked to learn he's bilingual ... despite the fact it's something of an open secret.

Ben sat down with El Cine En La Ser for an interview about his film ... explaining why Michael Jordan himself doesn't appear in the movie about his groundbreaking Nike contract.

If ya don't have the gift of gab en español, fear not, we did the translation, and Ben says there's not an actor in the world who could make an audience believe they're MJ, so the movie tells the story without focusing on Michael.

Still, Ben says he wouldn't have made the movie without Mike's blessing, which is why he had a sit down with the legend ... who told him the most important parts of the story were nailing 3 characters ... Howard White, George Raveling and MJ's own mother.

It's funny ... Ben says Jordan told him they had to get Viola Davis to play his mom, which Ben jokes is like asking someone to play basketball and they will only do so if MJ's on their team.

Ben's explained the same stuff in English, but it's impressive to hear him say it in Spanish -- which, btw, he learned in his youth ... pre-J Lo.

Lance Reddick's cause of death has been revealed as heart disease ... according to the late actor's death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, lists Reddick's immediate cause of death as Ischemic Heart Disease as well as Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease. The death cert also states Reddick was to be cremated.

TMZ broke the story ... Reddick, best known for his role in "The Wire" and the 'John Wick' movie franchise, was found dead at his Studio City home on March 17. At the time, law enforcement sources said his death appeared to be of natural causes.

We know Lance's wife, Stephanie, was the one who dialed 911 after finding him collapsed in the backyard.

Just before he died, Lance was doing a press tour for the "John Wick: Chapter 4" film ... and he even had an appearance scheduled on Kelly Clarkson's show for the week after he passed away.

Lance posted a selfie video just days before his sudden death at home with his pups, raising questions as to why he wasn't attending the 'Wick 4' premiere in New York City.

Lance's castmates honored him by wearing blue ribbons to the movie's premiere in Los Angeles, and Keanu Reeves shared some touching words about his friend.

Outside of 'John Wick,' Lance was also famous for his work in HBO's "The Wire" where he played Baltimore Police Department officer Cedrick Daniels in all 5 seasons of the show.

Throughout his career he racked up a ton of credits including shows like "Fringe," "Bosch," "Oz" and "Lost" ... he also appeared in films such as "Angel Has Fallen" and "Godzilla Vs. Kong."

Lance was 60.

Jeremy Renner's incredible recovery has him in high spirits, but just after his horrific snowplow accident, he worried he would live his life as a shell of a human being.

Jeremy tells his emotional story of coming back from the edge of life to a point where he is mobile again ... with the help of a walker.

He worried in the days following the accident he would live the rest of his life as a brain and a spine, but not much else.

The "Avengers" star teared up as he spoke with Diane Sawyer about the pain he suffered and how he felt so sorry that his family was suffering as well. Jeremy was on the verge of tears as he told Diane he told his family he was sorry in sign language.

He looks amazing ... it defies what he went through. Jeremy is looking forward and says he refuses to be haunted by the accident that almost took his life.

He still has a ways to go, but all signs point to a return to normal life, which has gotta include acting.

Forget LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard ... Odell Beckham Jr. might have been the biggest star at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night -- at least, that's based on the reaction he got outside of the stadium, where he was mobbed by a throng of fans!!

The NFL superstar could hardly move as he attempted to make his way inside the downtown L.A. venue for the pivotal Lakers vs. Clippers game ... as people tried to get photos with him -- and recruit him to their favorite team.

To his credit, Odell handled the situation super well -- posing for a few selfies ... and even joking with our photog about his next NFL team!!

Seems the L.A. crowd wanted to see him in Las Vegas next season for some reason -- as multiple fans pled with the free-agent wide receiver to sign with the Raiders.

Once inside, Odell had a killer spot for the big game ... sitting just a few feet away from the Clippers' bench.

Unclear which team he was rooting for -- he was dressed in neutral colors -- but hopefully for him it was the Clippers ... 'cause the Lakers got smacked pretty good, 125-118.

Beckham wasn't the only celeb in the building taking in the action ... Michael B. Jordan was courtside too -- but no word if the guys ended up rubbin' elbows.

John Leguizamo is again crying foul over "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" -- complaining about the lack of diversity in the cast.

The actor was in NYC Wednesday -- the same day the new animated film hit theaters -- and we got him to sound off on whether he'd changed his opinion from last year ... namely, whether he'd be watching the new adaptation of everyone's favorite video game character.

As it turns out, John hasn't budged on his original position ... dude's definitely not catching it, and he's still pissed there weren't any Latinos to be cast.

In between photos he was taking with fans on the street, John reiterated what he's been going on about since the fall ... basically, he feels like Nintendo and the studio heads behind 'SMBM' took a step backward by getting Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as Mario/Luigi -- neither of whom technically have Italian roots ... unlike their made-up characters.

You'll recall ... Bob Hoskins and John played the roles, respectively, in the live-action version.

JL says he wanted to see a Hispanic actor in the lineup again, and is sour that nobody from Latin America got a shot. It's unclear if John is advocating for true/accurate casting -- for which there's been a big push -- or if he just wants to see more Latin representation.

Here's a close-up look at Lady Gaga's take on Harley Quinn for the upcoming 'Joker 2' movie ... and this version looks dark and sinister.

Director Todd Phillips shared the in-your-face photo Wednesday on social media, announcing filming has wrapped and it's time for him to hunker down and transform hours of footage into a movie.

Lady Gaga's hair and makeup seem to match up with a scene she filmed earlier this week ... when she was singing and dancing on the very same outdoor Bronx staircase Joaquin Phoenix danced on in the first "Joker" film.

Remember ... we previously saw Lady Gaga in full costume as Harley Quinn last month, but she was sporting a different look than this grimy version.

Before, LG was looking pretty clownish as HQ ... and both versions seem darker than Margot Robbie's take on Harley Quinn, which has been well-received in several different flicks.

The man whom prosecutors claim caused Michael K. Williams' death by giving him dirty drugs has pled guilty in a plea deal ... and could see serious prison time.

39-year-old Irvin Cartagena pleaded guilty Wednesday in NYC to one count of conspiring to distribute drugs in connection to the late actor's fatal overdose from 2021. He now faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison ... and could even see as many as 40.

Cartagena was facing additional charges and potentially life in prison ... but ultimately pled guilty to just one.

Federal prosecutors slammed Cartagena after securing the guilty plea -- as well as others who were arrested -- by saying the sale of fentanyl-laced heroin brazenly happened in broad daylight ... and that Cartagena and co. were preying on victims like Williams in Brooklyn.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams also claimed that the dealers continued to peddle drugs on the streets without a second thought ... even after Williams died. A second defendant who was also arrested and charged last year reportedly pled guilty too.

As we reported ... Williams' body was found in his home, and his official cause of death ended up being an accidental overdose. His passing came as a shock to Hollywood. The actor was mostly known for his portrayal of Omar Little on "The Wire" -- but his work went well beyond that, and he was acclaimed for his craft. He had publicly battled drug addiction.

Samuel L. Jackson's got nothing on the South African pilot who made an emergency landing this week after finding a surprise stowaway on his hip -- a snake that easily could've killed him!!!

Rudolf Erasmus says he had to ground his aircraft Monday while flying 4 people in a small twin prop plane, because he realized -- while up in the air -- something cold was rubbing against his skin from under his shirt.

At first, he thought his water bottle was leaking on him ... but then he looked down and saw the serpent.

It wasn't just any snake either ... Erasmus says he recognized it was a Cape cobra, which has enough venom in its fangs to wipe out 9 people with a single strike. So, yeah ... deadly.

The pilot says he tried grabbing it and getting it under control -- refraining from telling the passengers to avoid a panic -- but eventually, he had to break the news 'cause the cobra was on the loose under his seat. When he did, he says everyone stayed calm.

Here's the kicker ... when Erasmus landed, he says he pulled his seat forward and spotted it all curled up, but when a crew member inspected, they lost it again. In other words, the snake ended up going MIA in the end.

Jeremy Renner says he was writing his final words to his loved ones after getting crushed by a snowplow earlier this year -- again confirming the guy thought he was going to die.

Jeremy got super emotional, telling Diane Sawyer dying alone would have been a horrendous way to leave this earth, and was incredibly thankful to his nephew for being there ... ironically, it was his nephew who Jeremy was trying to save that terrible day.

Then, he gets choked up ... saying that he was actually writing notes on his phone, which he intended to be his last sentiments to his family. Jeremy clearly believed he was at death's doorstep ... in fact, he was.

Fortunately, he survived ... getting airlifted to a hospital and undergoing extensive surgery. As you know, Jeremy suffered terrible injuries -- broken bones, ruptured organs ... the works.

ABC released an earlier clip, where Jeremy said he'd do it all over again, to save his beloved nephew..

His recovery has been miraculous ... and he almost looks like he's back to 100% -- a testament to his will and tenacity following a near-life-ending experience. Fact is, he still has a ways to go.

There's a new Snapchat filter in town and it's become a viral sensation ... so much so, it's been used over 1 billion times, making it one of the most popular ever on the app.

The "disgust" lens depicts users looking -- as the name suggests -- totally disgusted at someone or something, and apparently there's lots going on to disgust folks. Politics, sports, and even Bud Light come to mind in recent days.

A rep for Snapchat tells TMZ … it just went live Sunday, and Snap users have already uggo'd up their faces 1.5 billion times and counting.

Celebs such as "House of Gucci" star Jared Leto, singer Meghan Trainor and influencer Charli D'Amelio have hopped on the trend ... with Meghan using it on her husband Darryl Sabara.

We're told, "disgust" just surpassed "sad" ... in the Snap filter world, at least.

The sad, or crying face, filter was similarly used 1.3 billion times in its first three days. For what it's worth ... the "shook" lens had 1 billion engagements when it launched.

Timing is everything, because the sad filter blew up last year right around the time when Amber Heard went viral on social media crying on the stand in her infamous defamation trial against Johnny Depp.

Daz Dillinger is offering up yet another Suge Knight horror story from Death Row Records' '90s era, but Tha Dogg Pound rapper happens to be the boogeyman in this tale ... claiming he once strong armed the bulky CEO straight outta $2.5 million!!!

Tha Dogg Pound, and the late Nate Dogg, contributed to the 1996 "Sunset Park" film soundtrack via the song "Just Doggin'" and Daz recalled during an interview with Home Grown Radio the payment still hadn't hit his bank account a year later.

With Tupac Shakur dead and the label's future in jeopardy, Daz says he needed to get what was owed and ran up in the Death Row Records office with Kurupt and Lil Malik Hershey Loc and "hemmed everyone" up until Suge arrived.

Daz says Suge knew he meant business once he saw the determination in his eyes ... and quickly wrote him the $2.5 million check for "Just Doggin.'" We're sure the screwdriver he admits to being armed with also played a significant role in persuasion!!!

Snoop Dogg recently acquired the rights to Death Row and released the catalog onto streaming services, so Daz's royalties should be secure.

Judy Farrell, best known for playing Nurse Able in the hit TV show, "M*A*S*H," has died, TMZ has learned.

Judy's son, Michael, tells us she passed away in a hospital on Sunday after suffering a stroke nine days earlier. We're told while she was in the hospital, Judy was consciously alert and able to squeeze the hands of her loved ones, but couldn't speak due to the stroke.

In her role as Nurse Able, Judy appeared in 8 episodes of "M*A*S*H," also starring Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce. Her first husband, Mike Farrell, landed the part of Captain B.J. Hunnicutt in the '70s-'80s sitcom.

Judy also made several guest appearances in TV classics such as "Get Smart," "The Partridge Family," and "Quincy, M.E." She also had roles in the films "J.W. Coop" (1971), "Chapter Two" (1979), and "Long-Term Relationship" (2006).

After divorcing her first husband in 1983, Judy married Joe Bratcher two years later. She is survived by Bratcher and her two children, Michael and Erin.

Judy was 84.

Safe to say that Russell Crowe won't be playing Donald Trump in a movie anytime soon  -- or ever for that matter.

As the 45th President prepared for his criminal arraignment on Tuesday in Manhattan, Crowe sat down for a TV interview to talk about his lead role in the new film, "The Pope's Exorcist."

Near the end of the interview, Channel Seven Sunrise Host Natalie Barr mentioned that Trump was the story of the day and asked Crowe if he would ever play the former commander-in-chief in a movie.

Crowe's reaction was priceless. The legendary actor peered down at his wristwatch, smiled and jokingly said, "I'm really busy now. I've got lots, lots and lots of things to do."

Translation: Hell no!!!

As we reported, Trump was indicted last week by a grand jury over an alleged $130,000 hush money payment he made to porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her in the final days of the 2016 Presidential election. Daniels claimed she had an affair with Trump -- an allegation he has long denied.

Raquel Welch suffered a cardiac arrest ... according to her death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, also says one of the underlying causes of her death was Alzheimer's disease. The actress had not publicly revealed she was battling Alzheimer's.

We broke the story ... Raquel died Feb. 15 at her home in Los Angeles after what her family described as a "brief illness." The death certificate says she passed away at 2:25 AM, and she's since been cremated.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 90% of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, typically within minutes.

82-year-old Raquel's long and successful Hollywood career is noted on the certificate ... the doc says she spent 60 years as an actress in the entertainment industry.

Pras Michel has his game face on as his federal conspiracy case kicks into high gear in Washington D.C., with some huge names -- including Leonardo DiCaprio -- set to take the stand.

We caught The Fugees rapper just as he arrived at the courthouse with his defense lawyer ... ahead of what could be a crucial day. Leo is a key witness, and he testified Monday morning after the court allowed him to use a side entrance to avoid the media.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story back in October ... Leo is just one of the many high-profile witnesses who could take the stand before it's all said and done.

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and ex-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions are all named on the defense's witness list in the saga.

Pras is facing 22 years for his alleged role in a money laundering scheme with Malaysian fugitive Jho Low ... where Low's accused of acting as an agent for the Chinese government.

Leo's not a defendant, but he's been subpoenaed because the feds claim he's one of several celebs who received gifts from Low.

Lady Gaga is busting out her pipes for her role as Harley Quinn in the new 'Joker' sequel -- and since they're shooting out in the open ... the whole world's getting a sneak peak.

The singer was on location in NYC this weekend shooting 'Joker 2,' and yes ... she and the team revisited the famous outdoor Bronx staircase that Joaquin Phoenix danced upon in the first flick. Based on these photos and videos -- it would appears Gaga does the same.

She and director Todd Phillips were seen one day going through the scene, and eventually the cameras were rolling ... with LG in full costume and makeup, and showtunes to boot.

You can hear Gaga singing her heart out as bystanders recorded nearby. The film crew tried their best to cover her up and block folks out, but the cat was way out of the bag on this one ... you could probably hear her from a mile away based on how loud she was crooning.

Seems like the whole musical element for 'Joker 2' is in full swing ... and Gaga is bringing it with her natural talent. As for her costar, he made it on set eventually -- and they were shot together in their comic book signature clown gear. Pretty cool to see 'em fully realized.

Based on Gaga's shorter hair ... it would appear her character goes through quite the transformation. Remember, we saw her with a slightly different look a couple weeks ago.

And, of course, based on all the set photos and clips that have leaked so far (a lot) -- we kinda get the plot too at this point ... Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, and Gaga's Harley falls in love with the dude ... presumably joining him in his criminal mischief once out.

It's a bummer that everything's getting spoiled well before the film will come out, which won't be for at least another year and change. But it's pretty fun to see it all in action.