Academy Addresses Luke Perry’s Omission From Oscars' In Memoriam, Citing 'Limited Available Time'

Andy Swift
·2 min read

Oscar viewers were understandably irked on Sunday when several beloved stars — including Luke Perry, who appears in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, one of this year’s Best Picture nominees — were omitted from the show’s annual In Memoriam segment.

Perry, whose other film credits included roles in Redemption Road, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Fifth Element, died in Feb. 2019 after suffering a massive stroke. The Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale star was 52.

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Other notable omissions included 20-year-old Descendants star Cameron Boyce, who died from an epileptic seizure in July 2019, and 91-year-old Orson Bean, who was hit by a car just days before the ceremony. After receiving complaints about this year’s omissions — specifically regarding Perry and Boyce — the Academy has released the following statement:

“The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment. An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time. All the submissions are included on Oscar.com and will remain on the site throughout the year. Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce are remembered in the Oscar.com gallery.”

This year’s In Memoriam segment was made even more emotional by a special performance from Grammy winner Billie Eilish. Joined by her brother/songwriting partner Finneas O’Connell, Eilish reduced the audience to tears with her stunning rendition of The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” (Click here to watch Eilish and O’Connell’s full performance.)

Your thoughts on this year’s In Memoriam omissions? Drop ’em in a comment below.

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