The 98th Academy Awards’ televised tribute drew scrutiny after several familiar names were left out of the program’s In Memoriam montage, a choice that touched off fresh questions about who the ceremony chooses to honor and why. Viewers and industry observers noted the omissions immediately after Sunday’s broadcast.
Among those not shown in the segment were actors whose deaths were widely reported earlier this year. The absence of these figures was striking on a night when the Oscars traditionally aim to acknowledge the film community’s losses.
- James Van Der Beek — Best known for the film Varsity Blues; reported to have died on Feb. 11 after a battle with colorectal cancer.
- Eric Dane — Appeared in movies including Burlesque and Bad Boys: Ride or Die; reported to have died on Feb. 19 following a public disclosure that he had been diagnosed with ALS.
- Julian McMahon — Star of Nip/Tuck and known for portraying Dr. Doom in early 2000s adaptations of The Fantastic Four; reported to have died on July 2 from metastatic head and neck cancer.
TVLine has contacted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for an explanation; at the time of publication, the Academy had not issued a comment. Historically, the Oscars’ In Memoriam selection is handled internally and has periodically prompted debate over who is included on air and who is not.
Why the omission matters
The In Memoriam segment is one of the few moments in the broadcast that focuses squarely on the industry itself rather than its pageantry. Excluding prominent performers can feel like a denial of public recognition for careers that reached wide audiences — and it can be painful for colleagues and families expecting acknowledgment.
Past ceremonies have seen similar disputes, and those conversations often prompt calls for clearer criteria or more transparency about how the tribute list is compiled. Whether this year’s omissions will lead to any procedural changes remains unclear.
For viewers, the immediate consequence is simple: social media and entertainment outlets will continue to scrutinize the tribute choices, shaping the post-show conversation in the days ahead.
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