Oscars’ In Memoriam segment: all the stars that were left out

Lenny Kravitz performed a powerful tribute to the film industry professionals who died in the last year — but several notable stars were surprisingly omitted
Charlie Duffield14 March 2023

The 2023 Oscars awards ceremony on Sunday was another night to remember.

Lenny Kravitz helped to honour the scores of film industry professionals who died in the last year with a performance of his song Calling All Angels.

However, one of the most talked-about aspects of the ceremony was the In Memoriam segment, which excluded some prominent faces.

Grease star John Travolta introduced the montage, saying of those remembered: “Each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us. They’ve touched our hearts, they’ve made us smile, and became dear friends.”

Some viewers were outraged by several glaring omissions from the segment this year, however.

Here’s what you need to know about the stars omitted.

Which celebrities were featured in the In Memoriam segment?

Celebrities featured in the 2023 segment included Dame Olivia Newton-John, who died in August after a long battle with breast cancer, Goodfellas star Ray Liotta and Beauty, and the Beast’s Dame Angela Lansbury.

Which stars were left out?

Viewers took to social media to highlight how some celebrities were not included in the segment.

One person raged on Twitter: “I can’t believe the #Oscars In Memoriam omitted Lisa-Marie Presley, Leslie Jordan, Anne Heche.”

Another claimed: “The #Oscars lost me when Lisa Marie Presley was not mentioned in the ‘In Memoriam’.”

Someone else said: “Lisa Marie Presley not being included in the In Memoriam section of the #Oscars while her dad’s movie is nominated for SO many awards is astonishing.”

Here’s a round-up of the stars who were omitted.

Anne Heche

“Anyone else notice Anne Heche was left out of the In Memoriam?” one person tweeted, as another wrote: “Was Anne Heche left off the In Memoriam?”

Anne Heche died aged 53 of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries after crashing her car into a Los Angeles home last August.

She starred in films such as Six Days, Seven Nights and Donnie Brasco.

Lisa Marie Presley

Viewers’ shock at Lisa Marie Presley being left out of the segment was partly because the biopic of her father Elvis’ life had been nominated for eight Oscars.

The singer-songwriter died aged 54 in January after suffering cardiac arrest.

Austin Butler, who played Elvis in last year’s film, remembered Lisa Marie before Sunday’s ceremony. He told Entertainment Tonight that he was “carrying a lot of her with me tonight”

“It’s just part of that profound privilege that I feel to relate to them in some way,” he added in a sweet tribute.

“Lisa was such an extraordinary woman. The times that I spent with her were some of the greatest gifts of my life. And to now be able to carry on her legacy in this way, I feel profoundly on it.”

Leslie Jordan

Leslie Jordan, who died after a car accident in Los Angeles in October at the age of 67, was also not featured in the segment.

Renowned for roles in American Horror Story, Hearts Afire, and his Emmy-winning turn on Will & Grace, Jordan enjoyed fame again at 65 during the pandemic.

The tiny star — he stood 4’11” in shoes — became an internet sensation after posting daily Instagram videos.

Paul Sorvino

Goodfellas actor Paul Sorvino, who died in July at 83, may not have been remembered during the show, but his Academy Award-winning daughter Mira made sure he wasn’t forgotten.

After his Oscars snub, she shared a tribute on social media.

She wrote: “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!!”

Charlbi Dean

Charlbi Dean was another famous face that viewers pointed out was not included in the segment. This was despite her being the lead actress in one of this year’s Best Picture-nominated films, Triangle of Sadness, opposite Woody Harrelson.

Dean died in August at the age of 32 after a brief battle with bacterial sepsis.

Other stars who were excluded include Gilbert Gottfried, Estelle Harris, John Aniston, and Tom Sizemore.

Heche, Paul Sorvino and Dean have been memorialised on the Oscars’ website — a link to which was provided at the end of the segment through a QR code. Their tributes will remain on the site for the next year.

Academy Awards | Oscars 2023 | Best Moments

Michelle Yeoh,Halle Berry
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