The 2023 Oscars, like every year, had an In Memoriam segment that mentioned and honored the late artists who contributed to the film industry. However, not everyone who deserved to be on the list could find a spot on it. One such actor was Money Talks star Paul Sorvino who passed away at the age of 83 in July 2022. As such, Mira Sorvino, his daughter and Academy Award winner, slammed the institution for this grave error.
Mira Sorvino Criticizes The Academy For Discarding Her Father
In a tweet, Mira Sorvino said that she was baffled why her father, Paul Sorvino’s name was not included in the In Memoriam section at the 2023 Oscars ceremony. She said:
“It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out. The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!!”
Check out the tweet here:
Dee Dee Sorvino, the late actor’s widow, also said in a statement to People magazine that the Academy should have invested the time to add the star’s name during the broadcast. As per her:
“Paul Sorvino was one of the greatest actors in cinematic history in Hollywood. It is unconscionable that he would be left out of the In Memoriam segment of the Oscars. It’s a three-hour show, they can’t give a couple more minutes to get it right? Paul Sorvino gave decades to this industry and was loved by all.”
While the Goodfellas actor as well as other deceased star’s names weren’t shown during the broadcast, they were included on the Academy’s website on the In Memoriam page. During the live tribute, a QR code was shown on the screen that linked directly to that page. However, Dee Dee Sorvino doesn’t think that’s enough. She further expressed:
“Paul was not the only deserving soul left out, and a QR Code is not acceptable. The Academy needs to issue an apology, admit the mistake and do better. Paul Sorvino deserves better, the audience deserves better. Is the Academy so jaded they forget people who are loved, who have given their hearts to this industry? Shame on the Academy if this is not corrected. Mistakes are made, this was a big one. Please do something to make it right.”
Other late actors who were excluded were Tom Sizemore, Leslie Jordan, Charlbi Dean, Anne Heche, Gilbert Gottfried, Sacheen Littlefeather, and Kevin Conroy. Fans weren’t happy about any of the exclusions and took to social media to express their emotions.
Fans Slam The Academy For Not Honoring Paul Sorvino
Several movie fans expressed shock and surprise at multiple deceased actors not being mentioned during the live Oscars broadcast. Many flooded Mira Sorvino’s Twitter post, slamming the Academy for the disrespect it showed towards the veterans of the industry. Others slammed the QR code idea, terming it a “weak little thing.”
Here’s what the fans are saying:
A deceased actor not getting mentioned in the live broadcast isn’t something new for the Oscars ceremony. However, it’s widely agreed upon that it is an impolite and discourteous practice. There has been no official response from the Academy regarding the pleas by Mira and Dee Dee Sorvino. It remains to be seen if or how this gets addressed.
Source: Twitter
