The Academy Awards’ 2026 ceremony proved to be one of the most emotional yet, with various Hollywood greats paying tribute to the stars that died over the last year.
However, fans were quick to notice that the In Memoriam segment failed to include a number of high profile actors, including French film icon Brigitte Bardot.
The ceremony on Sunday (15 March) featured an expanded In Memoriam segment, paying tribute to previous winners Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and nominee Rob Reiner. Canadian comedian Catherine O’Hara and Italian actor Claudia Cardinale were also among those honoured.
Viewers were quick to point out that several notable names were missing from the line-up, including Bardot, Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek, and Eric Dane from Grey’s Anatomy.
Bardot died in December aged 91. She made her name in films such as The Truth , Viva Maria! and A Very Private Affair before retiring from acting in 1973.
She dedicated the later part of her life to far-right politics. Her tribute at the César Awards in France last month resulted in boos from the audience and chants calling her a “racist”. Some have speculated that this reaction was part of the reason Bardot was omitted from the Oscars.
The Independent has contacted the Academy Awards for comment.
Grey’s Anatomy star Dane died in February at the age of 53 after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) last year. The actor, who appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, did not feature in the tribute – however, his former Grey’s Anatomy boss Shonda Rhimes later said that she wouldn’t have expected him to be included.
“Well, he’s not a movie star,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I feel like when the Emmys come around, he will be immortalised the way he should be.
“You can’t fault the Oscars for the fact that they’re looking at movies and there were so many people who are lost but Eric was unique to television and I can’t wait to see what they do with him.”
Others who were not recognised during the broadcast were Van Der Beek, who died in February aged 48 following a colorectal cancer diagnosis, as well as The Cosby Show’s Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Revenge of the Nerds’ Robert Carradine.
Lost in Space actor June Lockhart and Harold and Maude star Bud Cort were similarily absent from the segment.
Canadian film producer David Keighley, who was a key figure behind the introduction of IMAX cinemas, was also missing. His son has since taken to social media to express his disappointment with the decision.
“So incredibly disappointed and heartbroken that the #Oscars and AMPAS chose not to include my father, David Keighley, and his immeasurable contributions to IMAX and cinema in the In Memoriam segment in the broadcast,” Geoff Keighley wrote on X. “I will never forget.”
The emotional section sawWhen Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal take to the stage to honour Reiner, who was stabbed to death alongside his wife Michelle Singer Reiner in December. Their son, Nick, was charged with their murder and pleaded not guilty in February.
Meanwhile, Rachel McAdams paid tribute to legends of the screen, Diane Keaton and Catherine O’Hara. Keaton died in October last year from pneumonia, while O’Hara died in January after suffering a pulmonary embolism.
Barbara Streisand concluded the segment by honouring Redford, who she starred alongside in The Way We Were and performed a short rendition of the film’s theme song. The actor died in his sleep in September aged 89.
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