Of all the things to be furious about at the Oscars, the in memoriam segment rarely gets much hate. Many people took issue with that portion of the show, however, on Sunday.
It wasn’t so much the names they honored, but a couple of notable ones that were omitted. Eric Dane and James Van Der Beek both died in February, and neither were mentioned during that Oscars segment. Both had long-term illnesses, with Eric losing his battle with ALS, while James died of colorectal cancer.
Oscars viewers were stunned by the exclusions
As beautiful and moving as some of the Oscar tributes were, many were left wanting more from the in memoriam segment. Fans online expressed their displeasure with the two omissions, calling it a missed opportunity. Shonda Rhimes, however, put Eric’s snub into perspective, telling Entertainment Tonight, “He’s not a movie star.” She adds that “You can’t fault the Oscars” for leaving him out, given all the big film stars who passed away. Shonda worked with Eric for years on Grey’s Anatomy
James and Eric made a name for themselves on television more than in movies. James played the title character on Dawson’s Creek. Eric is perhaps best known as Dr. Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy. Still, both had been involved in their share of movies throughout their careers.
Grey’s Anatomy, had a tribute video about Eric during his time on the show under the nickname Dr. McSteamy. Meanwhile, Joshua Jackson said James’ death hit him hard. Joshua was on Dawson’s Creek with him for years. Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, meanwhile, made a generous donation to James’ GoFundMe charity.
Among the stars that were mentioned in Sunday’s in memoriam were Rob and Michele Reiner, along with Robert Duvall, Diana Keaton, Robert Redford and Val Kilmer. Eric’s final film, Family Secrets, is in post-production, while the last movie featuring James, The Gates, premiered on Friday across the United States.
TELL US – DO YOU BELIEVE IT WAS RIGHT FOR THE OSCARS TO OMIT JAMES VAN DER BEEK AND ERIC DANE FROM THEIR IN MEMORIAM SEGMENT?
