The 2025 Oscars got reflective with the traditional In Memoriam segment celebrating the entertainment figures who died over the past year as the names scrolled onscreen. Notable names in filmmaking including David Lynch, Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones and Donald Sutherland were recognized during the emotional segment.
“Harriet the Spy” star Michelle Trachtenberg, who died the Wednesday before the Oscars, was not included in the In Memoriam segment. This year, actors including Tony Todd, Chance Perdomo, Alain Delon, “Annie Hall” star Tony Roberts, Linda Lavin, Martin Mull and “Romeo and Juliet” star Olivia Hussey were also omitted, along with documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
Gene Hackman, who was found dead with his wife on Wednesday, was remembered with a tribute from Morgan Freeman, who worked with the two-time Oscar winner on “Unforgiven” and “Under Suspicion.”
Quincy Jones also got his own separate Oscars tribute later in the show.
The tribute reel unspooled to an orchestral presentation of Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor,” known as “Lacrimosa” — though some commenters on social media found it too lachrymose even for a segment dedicated to the memory of those who have passed away.
But no matter how many people are remembered, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can’t dedicate an unlimited amount of time to listing names and photos. So every year, a few notable entertainers are omitted, which often causes an outcry on social media. The Academy traditionally posts a longer list on its website.
Other performers and creatives who were remembered during the segment include Gena Rowlands, Teri Garr, Shelley Duvall, Bob Newhart, John Amos, Roger Corman and Robert Towne.
Watch the full In Memoriam segment below:
