Oscars In Memoriam Snub? Fans Rage Over Stars the Academy Left Out
Numerous notable names were missing from this year's In Memoriam segment at the Oscars.

At the 98th Oscars on Sunday, the In Memoriam segment offered a moving tribute to late figures in the entertainment industry. However, it also quickly sparked frustration online after viewers noticed that several recognizable names with film credits were not included.
This year's memorial was billed in advance as longer and more reflective than usual. Academy leaders told The Associated Press before the show that the ceremony would include a "moving" In Memoriam, and coverage ahead of the telecast noted that producers were making a point of extending the tribute after a year of major industry losses.
Actor and comedian Billy Crystal led a personal remembrance of director Rob Reiner, recounting their first meeting and their numerous collaborations, along with other actors who had worked with him. Reiner and his wife and producing partner, Michele Singer, were found murdered in their California home in December of last year. Their son, Nick, has been charged with their murder.
Actress and singer Barbra Streisand honored actor Robert Redford with a performance tied to the film they did together, 'The Way We Were,' and Canadian actress Rachel McAdams paid tribute to actresses Diane Keaton and Catherine O'Hara.
Even with that added time, critics and fans almost immediately focused on who was missing. Among the prominent figures missing from this year's tribute were actors James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, and Brigitte Bardot. Van Der Beek's omission appeared to draw especially strong reaction because of both timing and visibility. The actor died on February 11, and although he was not shown during the broadcast, he was included in the Academy's longer online In Memoriam tribute.
Canadian video game journalist and television presenter Geoff Keighley expressed dismay on social media that his father, David, a film producer recognized as one of the key figures behind IMAX, was not included either. Geoff wrote, "So incredibly disappointed and heartbroken that the #Oscars and AMPAS chose not to include my father, David Keighley, and his immeasurable contributions to IMAX and cinema in the In Memoriam segment in the broadcast. I will never forget."
So incredibly disappointed and heartbroken that the #Oscars and AMPAS chose not to include my father, David Keighley, and his immeasurable contributions to IMAX and cinema in the In Memoriam segment in the broadcast.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) March 16, 2026
I will never forget. pic.twitter.com/bMmICAPn3w
Some of the omitted names, like Van Der Beek's, were at least included in the Academy's online memorial list, suggesting the issue was not always total exclusion, but exclusion from the telecast itself. The Oscars faced similar criticism last year, when other notable figures were absent from the televised tribute.
Others who were left out include actors James Ransone, Robert Carradine, Richard Chamberlain, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Julian McMahon, and legendary Argentine actor Héctor Alterio. However, the Associated Press reported that the segment ran longer than usual because of the sheer number of major Hollywood deaths over the past year.
Argentine actor Héctor Alterio (1929–2025) was missing from the #Oscars In Memoriam. He appeared in four of the first five Argentine films ever nominated for an Academy Award. Read our obituary: https://t.co/rdk9DiiU0e pic.twitter.com/IhJdxgjzL4
— Cinema Tropical (@CinemaTropical) March 16, 2026
The Academy has not yet publicly issued a detailed explanation addressing specific omissions from the broadcast. You can watch the entire In Memoriam segment of this year's Oscars here.
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