Tori Spelling Upset Over Luke Perry Being Snubbed in Oscars' In Memoriam Segment
The absence of Luke Perry in Academy Awards' 'In Memorium' segment didn't go unnoticed by fans, [...]
The absence of Luke Perry in Academy Awards' 'In Memorium' segment didn't go unnoticed by fans, nor did it go unnoticed by one of his former co-stars. Tori Spelling, who starred alongside Perry on Beverly Hills, 90210, took to Twitter to express her frustration over the actor's omission. She even compared the moment to the loss of her father, Aaron Spelling who also happened to be left out of the segment in 2006.
Now two of the most creative and talented men I have ever known, loved, and lost have not been mentioned in the #oscars memoriam. First, my Dad Aaron Spelling who passed in 2006 and now my friend Luke Perry who passed in 2019. 😢
— Tori Spelling (@torispelling) February 11, 2020
Perry died suddenly in March of last year from a stroke at the age of 52. The actor had a supporting role in The CW's Archie Comics-inspired teen dramedy, Riverdale, as the father to Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa). The show paid special tribute to the late actor in its Season 4 premiere back in October.
Omissions from the memorial reel, which honors those in showbiz who have died in the past year, have become a tradition unto itself, as each year it seems that at least one major figure was overlooked. Such is the case with Perry, who was not only the breakout star of 90210, elevating him to the status of teen idol throughout the 90s, also had a bit part in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, which was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture.
In a statement to CNN, the Academy attempted to clarify the omission in a statement, explaining that it "receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment."
"An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time," the statement read. "All the submissions are included on Oscar.com and will remain on the site throughout the year. Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce are remembered in the Oscar.com gallery."
Perry, sadly, wasn't the only one missing from this year's reel. Sid Haig, Boyce, Jan-Michael Vincent, Michael J. Pollard and Tim Conway were all notably absent from the montage, despite having passed away in the past 12 months.
Fortunately, Perry was represented in a similar segment as part of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which are held in January.