The 92nd Academy Awards have come and gone, and like every year, we watched as our favorite movies (and movie stars) were honored for all their excellent work. But there’s always one part of the ceremony that’s more somber than the others: the “In Memoriam” segment. As Billie Eilish sang a melancholy rendition of The Beatles‘ “Yesterday,” the names and photos of those we’ve lost flashed across a screen behind her, including Kobe Bryant, Kirk Douglas, and Doris Day.
But this year, many viewers were left confused and disappointed by some notable omissions, taking to social media to voice their frustrations. Among them were Riverdale‘s Luke Perry and Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce.
Boyce died in July of an epileptic seizure at 20. The young star was known for his roles in the Disney Channel movie franchise The Descendants, as well as the TV show Jessie. Perry died in March of a stroke at 52; Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood, which was nominated for Best Picture at yesterday’s awards show, was the last film the actor made before his death.
When the two weren’t featured at all, saddened viewers made their voices heard. “What a shame it was to see Luke Perry, Sid Haig, and Cameron Boyce omitted from the ‘In Memoriam’ segment in the 2020 #Oscars,” one person wrote. “Omitting actors like #LukePerry and #CameronBoyce is the reason I quit watching award shows,” someone else added.
Perry and Boyce weren’t the only ones left out of the tribute. And since the show aired, several viewers have taken to social media to call out the Academy for its failure in recognizing some of the amazing talent we’ve lost and the art they’ve given us while they were alive.
Ultimately, it seemed that the internet came to a unanimous agreement: The Oscars need to do better, and they can start by expanding the “In Memoriam” segment to include not just some of the talented actors, producers, screenwriters, and directors who’ve passed in the last year, but all of them.
