Oscars 2020: Here's why we left Luke Perry out of In Memoriam tribute
Cameron Boyce, Tim Conway, Sid Haig and others also weren't included in the Academy Awards montage.
After Sunday's Oscars ceremony, numerous fans were upset that late actor Luke Perry, who died of a stroke in March at just 52, wasn't included in the annual Academy Awards In Memoriam tribute. That famed photo tribute honors actors, directors and others in the film industry who've died since the last awards ceremony. On Tuesday, the film academy acknowledged fans' questions and (kind of?) explained how its choices are made.
"The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment," the Academy said in a statement. "An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time."
Perry wasn't the only fan favorite left off. Some viewers commented that actor Cameron Boyce, who died due to complications of epilepsy in July at age 20, should've been included. Others thought comic actor Tim Conway, who died in May at age 85, and horror-film icon Sid Haig, who died in September at age 80, also should have been included.
"All the submissions are included on Oscar.com and will remain on the site throughout the year," the Academy statement went on to say. "Luke Perry, Cameron Boyce and Tim Conway are remembered in the Oscar.com gallery."
Although not specifically mentioned in the Academy statement, Sid Haig and others who weren't in the telecast appear in the web version.
While Perry may be best known for playing teen heartthrob Dylan McKay on 1990s hit drama Beverly Hills, 90210, his movie credits included Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 8 Seconds, The Fifth Element and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was up for 10 awards Sunday night and won two.
Actress Tori Spelling, Perry's 90210 co-star, was one of those who felt the actor should've been included.
"Now two of the most creative and talented men I have ever known, loved, and lost have not been mentioned in the Oscars Memoriam," Spelling tweeted on Tuesday. "First, my Dad Aaron Spelling who passed in 2006 and now my friend Luke Perry who passed in 2019.
Now two of the most creative and talented men I have ever known, loved, and lost have not been mentioned in the #oscars memoriam. First, my Dad Aaron Spelling who passed in 2006 and now my friend Luke Perry who passed in 2019. 😢
— Tori Spelling (@torispelling) February 11, 2020
Boyce starred in the Disney Channel series Jessie, and also had a number of movies on his resume, including Eagle Eye, Grown Ups, and Grown Ups 2. Conway, a regular on The Carol Burnett Show, starred in films including McHale's Navy, The Apple Dumpling Gang, The Shaggy D.A., the Dorf sports-comedy film series, and many more. Haig's movie roles included that of Captain Spaulding in House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects, and 3 From Hell.
