The Real Reason James Van Der Beek Was Snubbed from the Oscars In Memoriam as Viewers Call the Move a ‘Disgrace’—’How Do They Get This Wrong?’
The 98th Oscars were a night of celebration for One Battle After Another and Sinners. Still, they were also a night of remembrance, as the In Memoriam portion of the telecast paid tribute to figures like Rob Reiner, Catherine O’Hara, Robert Duvall, and Robert Redford. But as always, there’s a lot of talk about who didn’t make it into the tribute, as much as who did. And that includes James Van Der Beek.
Why didn’t the Oscars In Memoriam tribute include Van Der Beek? Or Eric Dane? The answer is actually pretty simple. The Academy In Memoriam typically focuses on people who have made a significant contribution to cinema. Both Van Der Beek and Dane were mainly TV stars, so even though their losses were deeply felt, they are more likely to be part of a tribute at the Emmys, which celebrate television.
Catherine O’Hara, meanwhile, who was part of the In Memoriam segment at the Oscars, had a long career that included both iconic movies, like Beetlejuice and Home Alone, and TV, in series like Schitt’s Creek and The Studio, and will likely be honored in both.
Van Der Beek, known mainly for Dawson’s Creek, passed away from colon cancer in February. Dane, who was better known for his roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, also passed away in February from ALS.
Social media was anything but happy about the snubs, even if they made sense. One X user asked, “Why weren’t Eric Dane and James Van Der Beek included in the In Memoriam #Oscars,” with another one remarking, “Brigitte Bardot not being included in the In Memoriam segment is a pretty astounding miss,” and yet another one adding, “How do they get this wrong every year??”
There were explanations, though. One user said, “They’re TV actors,” with someone else replying, “They’ve both been in films and they have had TV actors in the film awards memoriam before BUT they miss more prominent film actors every year somehow.”
People were mad about other omissions, like Bardot and even Hulk Hogan. Bardot, in particular, was someone a lot of people were upset about. “How can @TheAcademy exclude legend Brigitte Bardot who also had an extensive movie career!?!” one user asked.
Oscars producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan told Variety that the segment was not “taken lightly” ahead of the ceremony.
“It’s everything from graphic design to titles to placement, because it all matters,” Kapoor explained. “Who follows who, where those beats happen — it’s very nuanced.”
He added, “The team that puts together the film is almost working all the way up to the show because there are so many changes and revisions,” and explained. “It’s a chance for people to say goodbye. It’s a chance for them to see some of their favorite people one more time, and it’s a memory.”
That means, of course, that the segment undergoes a lot of changes and hard decisions have to be made every year. That’s how we always end up here, discussing who was left out. Mullan added that the industry has had “an incredibly tough year of losses” as “so many cinema titans have passed away.”
Other actors who were not in the In Memoriam include Robert Carradine, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tom Noonan, and Julian McMahon.
