The Academy Says Luke Perry, Cameron Boyce Were Left Out Of ‘In Memoriam’ Because Of ‘Limited Available Time’

After both Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce were left out of the “In Memoriam” reel at the Oscars, fans took to social media to express their frustration with the Academy. Now, the Academy has offered an explanation as to why the stars were not featured in the segment, E! News reports.

“The Academy 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 organization said in a statement on Monday.

At Sunday’s ceremony, Billie Eilish performed a cover of “Yesterday” as faces flashed behind her. Kobe Bryant, who died on January 26 in a helicopter crash, and Kirk Douglas, who passed away just days before the ceremony, were both featured in the montage. Bryant was also a recent Oscar winner, having won for the animated short film Dear Basketball. Eilish’s performance lasted roughly three minutes and was part of a ceremony that lasted more than three-and-a-half hours.

Although they weren’t featured at the ceremony, both Perry and Boyce are part of the larger, 164-slide gallery that the Academy is currently featuring on its website. In the gallery, they’re joined by other late stars like Michael J. Pollard, Tim Conway, and Sid Haig.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKmqtaxIS3Y

The social media reaction to Perry’s absence was especially fierce, in part because he had a role in Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, one of the most nominated films at the ceremony. While some pointed out how strange it was for the Oscars to ignore Perry given his appearance in one of the nominated films, others suggested that the awards be snubbed altogether because of Perry and Boyce’s absence, Us Weekly reports.

Perry died in March of 2019 after suffering from a stroke. He was 52. Although the actor took on movie roles, he was perhaps best known for his performances on Beverly Hills 90210 and Riverdale, two teen shows from two different eras of television. On 90210, Perry played heartthrob Dylan McKay, while on Riverdale, he played protagonist Archie Andrews’ father.

Cameron Boyce died at 20-years-old in July of 2019 after experiencing a seizure. The actor was best known for his work on the Disney Channel and, in particular, his role in the popular Descendants franchise. Although both actors were snubbed at the Oscars, the fierce fan reactions to their absence suggest that they’ll be remembered long after the “In Memoriam” reel is forgotten.