As always, theOscars 2025In Memoriam segment had to make some cuts, but a few of those omissions were even more glaring and upsetting than usual. With the2025 Oscars winners reveals, there inevitably came the annual In Memoriam reel of the Academy Awards, meant to honor and remember those names in the industry that have passed in the last year. This year saw the loss of some Hollywood giants, including, among others, James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, and, of course, Gene Hackman.
While theOscars' In Memoriam song choice of “Lacrimosa” got people talking, they were even more upset about the omissions. The missing names were understandable in some cases - even though their omission still hurt - but others were genuinely head-scratching. They were huge names in movies and entertainment, and contributed to cinema in ways that were both profound and impactful. While it’s impossible to include every single person who worked in the entertainment industry who passes in a year, the decision to cut some stars from the In Memoriam reel doesn’t make sense.
7Tony Todd
1954 - 2024
Of all the actors on this list, Tony Todd’s exclusion is perhaps the most inexplicable. The legendary genre actor graced screens big and small, most notablyTodd’s various roles in theStar Trekfranchise. But the actor is unquestionably best associated with his most iconic role,Candyman.
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After his breakout as the titular bogeyman in that movie, Todd contributed his imposing presence to a number of cult classic movies in the next few years, includingThe Crow(Grange),The Rock(Captain Darrow), andFinal Destination(Bludworth), and continued acting right up to his untimely death last November. Considering his body of work in film, the decision to omit him from this year’s In Memoriam reel is dumbfounding and more than a bit insulting to his fans and those who appreciated his work.
6Michelle Trachtenberg
1985 - 2025
Michelle Trachtenberg’s omission from the In Memoriam reel incensed people who watched her grow up on screen. The outrage was especially pointed, considering Gene Hackman’s passing was reported a day after, and he was still prominently featured in the reel, includingMorgan Freeman, with his now-trademark glove, making a rare appearance to introduce the segment and honor his late friend.
Trachtenberg was undoubtedly best known for her work on TV, including playing Dawn Summers inBuffy the Vampire Slayerand Georgina Sparks inGossip Girl. Still, she also had an extensive movie career, playing the titular role inHarriet the Spyas a child, and appearing in other movies likeEuroTrip,Black Christmas,17 Again, andTake Me Home Tonight.
5Bernard Hill
1944 - 2024
Character actor Bernard Hill was also left off the In Memoriam reel after his passing in May 2024. As a character actor, Hill had appeared in countless projects on stage, television, and film. It’s his roles in a few iconic movies, however, that makes his lack of inclusion so confusing.
One of his earlier movie roles was playing Captain Smith in James Cameron’sTitanic, and, of course, the beloved King Theoden in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy. Beyond those notable roles, however, the British actor appeared in countless films, includingGothika,Wimbledon,Valkyrie, andParaNorman, leaving a big stamp on Hollywood and making the In Memoriam snub sting even more.
4Olivia Hussey
1951 - 2021
Olivia Hussey was another name whose absence had people talking. The British actress hadn’t acted since 2015, and her previous on-screen role before that was in 2008, so she’s certainly been out of the spotlight for quite some time. Still, her body of work on the big screen has outlasted her career, making it odd she wasn’t included.
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Hussey first broke out as a teenager, playing Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic 1968 adaptation ofRomeo and Juliet. and her career grew from there. She had a leading role in the 1974 cult slasherBlack Christmasand in 1978’s Agatha Christie adaptationDeath on the Nile, among other roles. For those three performances alone, however, Hussey should have been on the Oscars reel this year.
3Alain Delon
1935 - 2024
French heartthrob Alain Delon was once considered one of the most beautiful men in the world, but his otherworldly good looks belied his incredible talent and charisma on screen. While Delon was predominantly a French actor, he did appear in multiple Hollywood films. His impact on cinema in two countries was so profound that he should have been included by the 2025 Oscars in its memorial segment.
Delon’s Hollywood debut came in 1965 when he landed the lead role inOnce Upon a Thief, starring opposite Ann-Margaret. Other notable films aimed at American and British audiences includedThe Yellow Rolls-Royce,Is Paris Burning?,Lost Command, andTexas Across the River. While his star never burned as brightly in the U.S. as it did in his home country of France, Delon was a generational talent.
2Silvia Pinal
1931 - 2024
Like Delon, Silvia Pinal was another international superstar who nonetheless had such an enormous impact on the field of cinema and filmmaking that she absolutely should have been included in the Oscars In Memoriam list. As one of the biggest stars in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Pinal’s star was up there with the likes of American contemporaries Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood.
Pinal did appear in one Hollywood movie, though - 1967’sShark!, starring opposite megastar Burt Reynolds. Still, Pinal’s staggeringly impressive body of work was almost exclusively in the Mexican film industry, but, like a handful of exceptionally charismatic starlets of the day, her star transcended her country, and she became an international star and acclaimed from her work across the world.
1Shannon Doherty
1971 - 2024
A few people were even wondering where Shannen Doherty was in theOscars 2025In Memoriam reel, but the answer to that one, at least, is easy: as primarily a TV actress, she was already honored at the 2024 Emmys last September. Doherty had certainly appeared in a few cult classic movies in her career, notablyHeathersandMallrats, but her name was made on the small screen.
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Her role as bad girl Brenda Walsh onBeverly Hills, 90210made her a household name, and her role as Prue Halliwell onCharmedcemented it. In between her tragic bouts of cancer were dozens of other TV roles, so it’s fitting Doherty’s life and memory were honored at the Emmys and not the Academy Awards.
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