Bafta organisers have come under fire for failing to include the late Bob Hoskins, who died in April, in the awards ceremony’s annual In Memoriam segment.
Hoskins, who won the best actor Bafta in 1986 for Neil Jordan neo-noir Mona Lisa, was omitted in favour of Hollywood stars such as Lauren Bacall, Harold Ramis, Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams, all of whom also died in the past 12 months.
Hoskins made his name in the 1978 Dennis Potter serial Pennies from Heaven after spending years in fringe theatre and small TV roles. His best known role was probably 1980’s The Long Good Friday, which pushed him to the forefront of British big screen acting and led to Hollywood work such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Mermaids (1990).
Hoskins was Bafta-nominated on two further occasions, in the best actor category for his turn as old skool London gangster Harold Shand in The Long Good Friday, and for best supporting actor for his turn as Colonel Perez in the 1983 Latin American-set drama The Honorary Consul.
The comic David Baddiel suggested the omission was “symbolic of the erasure in modern times of the working-class actor”, while Piers Morgan described the snub as “outrageous”.
The omission of Bob Hoskins in the BAFTA remembrance montage seems symbolic of the erasure in modern times of the working-class actor.
— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) February 9, 2015
I think #BAFTA owe the family of Bob Hoskins a major, grovelling apology. Scandalously ignored tonight.
— James Hubbard (@JamesHubbard113) February 8, 2015
Enjoyed the BAFTAs, albeit often for the wrong reasons. But Bob Hoskins snub was outrageous.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 8, 2015
Hoskins died aged 71 on 9 April, suffering from pneumonia. He retired in 2012 following a diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease in the autumn of 2011.
Other Twitter users were disappointed at the omission of Rik Mayall, who starred in the films Guest House Paradiso and Drop Dead Fred as well as enjoying a glittering small screen career which took in The Young Ones, Bottom and Blackadder.
Very disappointing that #Bafta failed to mention Bob Hoskins and Rik Mayall in their tribute segment.
— Sean O' Donovan (@henriksen1) February 8, 2015
Why no #RikMayall in @BAFTA 's memoriam section? They have his passing on their website. http://t.co/GB3mbpiw0x
— Ed Partridge (@73EJP) February 8, 2015
