Luke Perry Omitted From Oscars In Memoriam

By Rebecca Rubin

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The 2020 Oscars In Memoriam segment memorialized late Hollywood icons such as Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 , and Kirk Douglas, who died last week at age 103 . But the Academy left off a few notable names, including Luke Perry, Cameron Boyce and Sid Haig.

Orson Bean, the 91-year-old “Being John Malkovich” actor who died in a car accident Friday, was also omitted. That’s likely because the Academy didn’t have time to modify the segment before Sunday’s telecast. Likewise, Robert Conrad, who appeared in films including “Palm Springs Weekend” and “Jingle All the Way,” died on Saturday at 84.

The organization behind the has faced blowback before for failing to include major filmmakers in the In Memoriam reel. But viewers were particularly surprised by Perry’s exclusion, since his final on-screen appearance was in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” one of this year’s best picture nominees. Perry died March 4 after suffering a stroke , just after 2019’s ceremony on Feb. 24.

Haig, known for his role as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses” trilogy, died Sept. 24 from a lung infection at age 80. Boyce, 20, died in July after complications from epilepsy . He was most recognized for starring in Disney Channel’s “Descendants” movies.

The video segment, accompanied by Billie Eilish singing a powerful rendition of the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” honored numerous fallen actors like Doris Day, Peter Fonda and John Singleton. The Academy posted a lengthier clip on its website that featured Perry, Haig and Boyce.

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