Longtime watchers of the 2023 Oscars know that the ceremony doesn't just celebrate the work of those nominated. The Academy Awards also takes time to acknowledge those who have died in the last year and the contributions they made to the entertainment industry as a whole. This year was no different, but some viewers had certain feelings over not seeing a particular actor in one of the most touching moments of the ceremony.
During this year's "In Memoriam" tribute, actor John Travolta introduced the heartfelt segment as Lenny Kravitz performed his song "Calling All Angels" on the piano. As names of actors (like Olivia Newton-John, James Caan and Angela Lansbury), producers and other members of film played in a video montage, fans took note of something peculiar. They realized that a number of Hollywood stars weren't included in the montage, like Goodfellas star Paul Sorvino, Volcano actress Anne Heche and Triangle of Sadness star Charlbi Dean.
What's more, Call Me Kat fans noticed something else. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences omitted Leslie Jordan's name from the list of honorees, close to six months after he died at the age of 67 in a car crash.
Apart from his popular role on Will and Grace, Leslie rose to internet fame during the COVID-19 pandemic when he went viral on TikTok for his relatable thoughts. He was also featured in dozens of shows, movies and reality series during his nearly four decade-long career.
In response to the lack of acknowledgement for Leslie, fans expressed their devastation on Twitter. "Ummm ... did they leave Leslie Jordan out of the In Memoriam??? 🤨," one person wrote. "WHERE WAS LESLIE JORDAN???? [I don't care] if he was more 'tv' … should’ve still included him!" another user tweeted. "How did they forget to add #LeslieJordan in the memoriam segment?" a different follower exclaimed.
The following day after the 2023 Oscars, a spokesperson for the Academy released a statement, per Today.com. It echoed a similar statement when actor Luke Perry and others weren't honored in 2020.
"The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment," it read. "An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time. All the submissions are included on A.frame and will remain on the site throughout the year."
Although many names weren't mentioned, no one can deny that our view of entertainment wouldn't be the same without them.
