The Oscars are facing backlash after several notable actors were left out of this year’s In Memoriam segment.
While the tribute honored major industry losses—including James Earl Jones and Dame Maggie Smith—several omissions sparked controversy among viewers. Among those absent were The Lord of the Rings’ Bernard Hill, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Michelle Trachtenberg, and Ken Page, best known as the voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
News outlet TV Line noted that the Oscars faces recurring criticism over who is excluded from In Memoriam, and this year was no different. However, they also claimed it was par for the course. “It’s an Oscar ritual that always has a rustle of drama beneath the surface,” said Academy Awards authority Michael Schulman. “No matter what happens, there will be [ten] headlines about who was snubbed posthumously, and there’s nothing that can be done about it.”
Notable Omissions and Consequential Outrage
The Oscars In Memoriam segment is meant to recognize those who left their mark on cinema. However, when major names are excluded, it can leave fans and colleagues feeling as though their contributions were deliberately ignored.
One of the most talked-about moments of the ceremony this year was a tribute to legendary actor Gene Hackman, who passed away just days before the event. Because of his status in the industry, the Academy found time to work in an acknowledgment to him, even if it wasn’t in the In Memoriam. Given how recently he passed, the tribute was a fitting moment—but it raised the question: why didn’t Michelle Trachtenberg receive a similar recognition?
While those two examples could be attributed to the timing of their passing—with both being just before the Awards—others were harder to justify. Among the excluded names were:
- Shannen Doherty, known for Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed;
- Bernard Hill, who portrayed King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings trilogy;
- Ken Page, a Broadway legend and the unforgettable voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas;
- Tony Todd, most known for Candyman.
Also excluded from the segment were John Ashton, Michael Cole, Linda Lavin, Martin Mull, Nicholas Pryor, Morgan Spurlock, Lynne Marie Stewart, Olivia Hussey and Gwen Van Dam. All these people who contributed to the film industry were snubbed from the Oscars In Memoriam homage.
Social media erupted with frustration, with fans and even other actors questioning how the Academy decides who gets honored and who doesn’t.
Gene Hackman at the Oscars – YouTube, Fox News
A Recurring Conundrum
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the selection process for the In Memoriam names “falls to an executive committee [anonymously] representing all [nineteen] Academy branches…. The all-branch committee is why many below-the-line names can get a slot over a more recognizable actor.” Evidently, Academy Awards authority Michael Shulman also claimed that this is likely why Shannen Doherty “is on the bubble this year despite supporting roles in…Heathers and Mallrats,” as well as mainly being known for television roles.
THR also reported that choosing “the right names is just one high-wire task. Finding the right balance between homage and overload in the show itself can be equally tricky.” Moreover, “space is allotted [in the montage] in case a major talent dies just before the show” and “the montage isn’t locked until the last dress rehearsal on the morning of the show.” In other words, there may not have been time to include Hackman and Trachtenberg at the last moment, even though they could have been.
Zoe Saldana accepts the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress – YouTube, ABC News
However, even with all the complications and pressure involved in selecting the names, it does not excuse the omissions of the aforementioned snubs. The least they could have done, perhaps, was extend the segment from four minutes to five, just so a few more legends could be given the respect they deserved.
Do you think these snubs were deliberate or overlooked? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Tony Todd proved that you can be black and still have your franchise destroyed by wokeness.
The omission of Michelle Trachtenberg is especially bizarre. You’d think Hollywoke would pounce on the chance to virtue signal by honoring her. Unless she had the “wrong politics,” I’m leaning more towards her exclusion because of her work to adapt Toy World, a book that detailed Mattel’s scummy business practices into a video documentary. Hollywoke needs the toy industry’s good faith to make money from licensed movie and TV merch, after all.
“Michelle Trachtenberg” – I had never heard of this actress. RIP. Bernard Hill was too white, I guess.
A Hollywood guy on X remarked that Gene Hackman joins a growing number of at least half a dozen, highly suspicious Hollywood deaths. He also named Heath Ledger, but didn’t even mention Anne Heche. Cover ups?