Why Were So Many Big Names Missing From the Oscars In Memoriam Segment?

By Kayleigh Donaldson | TV | March 13, 2023 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | TV | March 13, 2023 |

Every year, the Academy Awards includes an In Memoriam segment during the ceremony to pay homage to those who passed over the prior 12 months. This year, John Travolta tearfully introduced a performance by Lenny Kravitz, who accompanied a montage of industry figures who died in 2022. It’s typically one of the most moving parts of the evening (and there were a lot of tears at last night’s Oscars as it was.) People like Olivia Newton-John, Angela Lansbury, Vangelis, Ray Liotta, and many more were celebrated. Yet many people were missing from the segment and it was hard to ignore such absences.

Anne Heche was not included in the segment. Neither was Paul Sorvino. Or Fred Ward. Or Leslie Jordan. Or Charlbi Dean. No Topol or Albert Pyun or Jeff Barnaby or Tony Sirico. No Gilbert Gottfried. No Philip Baker Hall. No Tom Sizemore.

So, why were so many people simply not included in the segment? The Academy didn’t purposefully ignore these people and did offer viewers the chance to scan a QR code to see a full In Memoriam list on their website. The show really doubled down on getting its audience to care about QR codes, like we were checking out the cocktail menu at Applebee’s or something. It made sense for moments like offering added details and tidbits on certain tech categories. For the In Memoriam stuff? It just seemed kind of tacky. Hey guys, scan our code for a list of dead people we couldn’t be bothered to put in the live show!

I get it. There’s a time crunch, and, as every third joke of the night reminded us, the ceremony is already extremely long. The Oscars’ producers are constantly looking for ways to cut a few seconds out here or there. That’s how we get moments like the tech and short film award winners having their speeches cut short, even at emotional moments that deserved some attention.

But then that makes you wonder about the choices made for inclusion. Why is one actor included over another? Were Fred Ward’s contributions to cinema seen as lesser than someone who made the cut? What about Charlbi Dean, the star of a Best Picture nominee from that night, Triangle of Sadness? Are they mourned less? Should their families and colleagues be satisfied with a QR code? It’s bad optics, at the very least, and outright callousness at the very worst.

For an evening that is intended to celebrate the film industry and those who make it special, it seems like the bare minimum the Academy can do is let those dearly departed members of their community get three seconds to shine on the air.