In 2025, we said goodbye to some of the film industry’s most iconic figures, and the first part of 2026 has brought even more notable losses. As it does every year, the Oscars ceremony has set aside time in its program to pay tribute to industry professionals who are no longer with us. Given the number of deaths, the Academy has extended the segment and made some changes to the “In Memoriam” format, which has led to some controversy.
The most talked-about issue has been the absence of figures like James Van Der Beek or Eric Dane. Although their careers were primarily defined by their work in television, viewers found it strange that the organization did not even include them in the classic sequence of names and photographs that characterizes this segment during the broadcast of the ceremony. Like them, Brigitte Bardot, George Wendt, Julian McMahon, James Ransone, Danielle Spencer, Loretta Swit, Demond Wilson, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner were also omitted.
Beyond these shortcomings, the section has also reignited the usual debate over the criteria the Academy uses when putting together the “In Memoriam” segment. Every year, the selection of names and the amount of screen time each honoree receives inevitably leads to comparisons between those who receive more prominent recognition and those who appear on screen for barely a second or even share the frame with other celebrities.
This disparity in visibility, while partly due to the time constraints of the television broadcast, establishes a kind of implicit hierarchy within the tribute itself. For many viewers, these decisions reflect inequalities in recognition within the industry: even in a moment dedicated to remembrance, media recognition continues to dictate who should have more or less screen time. In this way, the “In Memoriam” highlights dynamics of prestige and visibility that have historically shaped the world of cinema and remain relevant today.
The Most Extensive Tributes
Among the most extensive tributes of the night were those dedicated to Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, and Rob Reiner—three names deeply linked to different eras in Hollywood’s history, whose impact on cinema has been widely recognized by the Academy. Redford received a tribute that consisted of a surprise appearance by Barbra Streisand, who sang part of “The Way We Were,” the song from the film they starred in together, while images from his career were projected. Keaton was honored with a personalized montage presented by Rachel McAdams, and Reiner also had his own segment.
For many, giving priority to established industry professionals over other television figures distances the “In Memoriam” segment from being a collective tribute. In this regard, the conversation surrounding editorial choices in the montage has drawn attention to the Academy and its ability, as an institution, to establish a symbolic hierarchy by deciding who is included in the televised narrative and how.
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