Oscars slammed for In Memoriam snubs
The Oscars have been slammed for leaving out several big names from the In Memoriam segment, which honours the lives and careers of those who have died in the past year.
Among those left out of the annual industry tribute was Six Days, Seven Nights star Anne Heche, beloved comedy actor Leslie Jordan, and Sopranos star Tony Sirico.
Notably missing from the list was South African actress Charlbi Dean, 32, who died just weeks before the release of her film Triangle Of Sadness – one of the 10 nominated in the Best Picture category this year.
Also left off the list was Goodfellas star Paul Sorvino, as his Oscar-winning daughter, Mira Sorvino, was just one of many who were left baffled by the snub.
“It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out. The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!” she wrote on Twitter, after the Oscars segment aired with no mention of her famous father.
While Paul was left out of the tribute, his fellow Goodfellas actors James Caan and Ray Liotta, who also passed away in the last year, were mentioned in the segment.
An emotional John Travolta introduced the tear-jerking tribute segment, and became choked-up as he referenced his late Grease co-star and friend, Olivia Newton-John, who died from cancer last August.
“In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living, and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love,” Travolta said
Beginning with Newton-John, a montage of recently departed actors, directors, producers and other industry figures then played on the screen while singer Lenny Kravitz performed a stripped-down version of his song Calling All Angels.
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