Yesterday, we reported on the unfortunate news that the Oscars ceremony left film icons Sid Haig, Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce off their 2020 ‘In Memoriam’ tribute montage. Now, the Academy Awards have officially responded to the backlash.
The Oscars aired on Sunday, Feb. 9. Billie Eilish and Finneas gave fans a truly moving rendition of “Yesterday” by the Beatles. But, the Academy still upset many fans.
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Billie Eilish and Finneas took the stage to perform an incredibly tender version of “Yesterday” during the In Memoriam section of the Oscars. Eilish absolutely delivered with the song as she paid homage to the greats. Notable names included in the dedication were Kobe Bryant, Star Wars‘ Peter Mayhew and Rip Torn.
You can watch the full montage and Billie’s performance below.
Unfortunately, a few very notable names were lacking from this year’s montage. Sid Haig, Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce. Sid Haig is a legend in the film industry with over 40 years of experience and upwards of 140 film credits to his name. Cameron Boyce, the 20-year-old star is best known for Disney Channel’s Jessie and Descendants film, but also starred in the Grown Ups films with Adam Sandler. Boyce will also star in the upcoming American Satan spinoff Paradise City. Perhaps most notably left off was actor Luke Perry. This is particularly odd because Perry starred in Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Brad Pitt won Best Supporting Actor for the film and it was nominated for Best Picture.
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Many took to social media to address the issue.
Wait a minute? Let me see if I’m understanding this…the Oscars had a memoriam and somehow Luke Perry was excluded despite that he’s in one of the nominated films?! pic.twitter.com/3nth2skJHp
— ericastwilight (@ericastwilight) February 10, 2020
Excluding Luke Perry from the Oscars in Memoriam was disrespectful. He appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which was nominated for Best Picture. Quentin Tarantino personally selected Luke to be in his movie so why not mention him? #oscars pic.twitter.com/eRICigXD0N
— Price of Reason (@priceoreason) February 10, 2020
My 12-year-old daughter realized Cameron Boyce and Luke Perry were missing from the memoriam. I realized Sid Haig was as well. Get your shit together, Oscars, as you have disappointed once again. #Oscars2020
— LO (@OlayKo75) February 10, 2020
i’m sorry but how was Luke Perry NOT in the memoriam segment last night at the oscars? he WAS Hollywood, i miss him sm 🙁 pic.twitter.com/sjwnZtecKD
— hayley ♀ (@hayleystruggles) February 10, 2020
it’s so upsetting they didn’t include luke perry or cameron boyce in the oscars memoriam. they have both contributed so much to entertainment and luke was even in ouatih. he was fantastic. i miss them so much and wish they were still here ❤️
— ??? | ?????? ✪ ⩔ (@buckywilscn) February 10, 2020
I hate to bitch about the In Memoriam segment of the #Oscars every year so I’m not even going to. Just want to say RIP Sid Haig, an acting legend who will be forever missed by so many. Never forget Sid Haig. pic.twitter.com/nPMfYBu6zU
— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) February 10, 2020
NOT FORGOTTEN #SidHaig #LukePerry #CameronBoyce pic.twitter.com/hVHhjplN4p
— Stephanie ?? (@Stephhorror303) February 10, 2020
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Now, it seems that the Academy has addresses the Oscars controversy. In a statement to E! News, the Academy commented on the issue. Them being left off doesn’t seem like it was much of an oversight or accident
“The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment,” the statement says. “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.”
So it seems that the committee decided to leave out Cameron Boyce and Luke Perry. The Academy Awards didn’t even address Sid Haig in their statement. We understand the limitations of time constraints and including everyone involved in the industry. From photographers to costume designers, everyone deserves to be remembered. However, Haig, Perry and Boyce are notable enough to earn recognition during the ceremony. The Oscars online gallery can be viewed here.
See more: In memoriam: Musicians we lost in 2019
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