There were plenty of memorable moments from the 2020 Oscars ceremony, including the special "In Memoriam" tribute that honored Hollywood figures who we've lost in the past year. However, actor Luke Perry, who passed away in March 2019 at the age of 52, was left out. Naturally, some fans are wondering why. As CNN notes, the apparent snub was particularly egregious given that Perry appeared in one of the evening's most nominated films, Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
But while his role in that movie, his final onscreen performance, was relatively small, Perry was hardly what you'd call a bit player.
During his heyday of the 1990s, he was considered a sex symbol and teen idol, largely thanks to his regular role on Beverly Hills, 90210. But by all accounts, he never let the fame go to his head. Following his death, he was remembered as a humble man who valued his family over the trappings of celebrity. In a way, it's almost appropriate that he would fly under the radar of the Academy's In Memoriam segment.
On the Monday following the Oscars, those responsible for the event released an explanation regarding Perry's omission from the tribute. The statement read,
"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."
The statement also noted that all of the In Memoriam submissions are listed on the Oscar.com website, where they'll remain throughout 2020. That's where you'll find Perry "remembered" by the Academy, alongside others who weren't featured in the on-air tribute.
Beyond Luke Perry, viewers may have noticed a few other notable names and beloved figures who passed in 2019 or early 2020 that didn't appear in the "In Memoriam" segment. If you take a look at the online gallery posted on Oscars.com, you'll see that there are 163 individual entries - far too many to fit in the pressed-for-time broadcast tribute.
Disney Channel actor Cameron Boyce wasn't mentioned during the ceremony; however, he can be found in the Oscars.com gallery along with others who have entertained countless audiences over the years, such as Peggy Lipton, who appeared on The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks, and was also the mother of Parks and Recreation star Rashida Jones.
Some viewers had questions about people who were included in the Oscars broadcast, including Kobe Bryant, who was the first person honored during the live tribute. It may have seemed strange since he was an athlete and not an actor, but back in 2018, Bryant took home an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball.
Kobe was also remembered in a more personal fashion by the filmmaker Spike Lee, his friend who honored Bryant in a very special way, and made the event somewhat difficult for singer Billie Eilish, who performed during the heartwrenching tribute.
When it was announced that Billie Eilish would be performing at the 2020 Oscars, many assumed that she would be introducing fans to her James Bond theme song. But when she was asked about it on the red carpet by Entertainment Tonight, the young singer made it clear that such a self-promoting move would come off as inappropriate.
Instead, Eilish delivered a heartfelt rendition of the Beatles' "Yesterday." And while she said beforehand that she was looking forward to "respecting all the people that have passed this year," she also noted that Kobe Bryant's death, in particular, was affecting her, saying,
"It's just sad. It's like, I don't know what else to say. Every time, when we were in rehearsal and they run kind of what's going to be playing, every time I see his face [on the screen], I'm like what? It's so weird. It doesn't make sense to me. I just got shivers, it's horrifying."
Viewers surely got shivers, too, when Eilish sang her tribute to the showbiz folks we've loved and lost. But for fans of the actors and filmmakers who didn't make the cut, like Luke Perry, the 2020 Oscars In Memoriam segment was incomplete, and bittersweet.
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