Hollywood’s background actors get their red carpet moment

Inside: The mysterious death of Gene Hackman; final Oscar predictions; "Ghosts" reveals a feud's origin.‍  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   ADVERTISEMENT February 28, 2025 | View in browser Entertainment Don't call them 'extras.' For one night, Hollywood's background actors are the real stars While you won't get famous as a background actor — if you do it right — it's possible to make a living doing it in Los Angeles. Read More ADVERTISEMENT Gene Hackman, two-time Oscar winner, found dead with his wife and dog in Santa Fe home Actor Gene Hackman got his break in "Bonnie and Clyde" and rose to stardom in "The French Connection." He was 95. Read More Emotional 911 call follows discovery of mummified bodies of Gene Hackman and wife The bodies of actor Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog were discovered in Santa Fe, N.M., on Wednesday afternoon during a welfare check, officials said. Read More ADVERTISEMENT Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood and others honor Gene Hackman: 'No finer actor' Hollywood paid tribute to Gene Hackman, who was found dead along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog in their New Mexico home. Read More Oscars 2025: Final predictions for all 23 categories The 97th Academy Awards arrive Sunday after a film season full of wild momentum swings, online trolling and internecine whisper campaigns. Read More Keep up with California Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe Now 'They were due' — an Oscar narrative that deserves to die? Got longevity, respect and fame but an empty shelf? Two LAT film staffers discuss the concept of when an Oscar is "due" — if ever. Read More As 'Buffy's' Dawn Summers, Michelle Trachtenberg was all of our kid sister Dawn Summers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was magical energy turned human. Michelle Trachtenberg made her everyone's kid sister. Read More 'House of David' isn't just a religious show, exec producers say. It's 'a war of houses' Executive producers Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn discuss bringing the biblical character to life in their series and whey they cast Michael Iskander in the lead role. Read More How ruffles ignited a feud between Isaac Higgintoot and Alexander Hamilton on 'Ghosts' Isaac Higgintoot's one-sided feud with the man who became the face of the $10 bill has long been a part of "Ghosts" lore; we finally learn how it started. Read More VFX giant Technicolor lays off more than 200 workers in Culver City The 110-year-old company, which has worked on iconic films including the "The Wizard of Oz," "Pinocchio" and remakes of "The Lion King," is confronting financial troubles. Read More ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading Entertainment Digest from the Los Angeles Times Sign up for more L.A. Times newsletters. Sign Up You received this email because you opted to receive email communications from L.A. Times. Unsubscribe | Manage marketing email preferences | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | CA Notice of Collection   Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. Place an ad or classified.   Copyright © 2025, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 90245 1-800-LA-TIMES latimes.com