Mira Sorvino, the actress and daughter of veteran actor Paul Sorvino, has been outspoken in her criticism of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for excluding her father and other celebrities from the “In Memoriam” montage during the 2023 Oscars ceremony.
The In Memoriam segment of Oscars pays tribute to actors, crew workers, and other artists in the entertainment field who have passed away in the previous year. However, it’s also become a frequent occurrence for this segment to unintentionally leave out some folks, and this year, Paul Sorvino was one of them.
Paul Sorvino, who played Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas alongside Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci, died of natural causes, on July 25, 2022, at the age of 85. He was also well acclaimed for his roles in The Rocketeer, Nixon, Romeo + Juliet, Moonlighting, Law & Order, and other films. Famous faces like Forest Whitaker accompanied the daughter of Paul, Mira Sorvino, in paying respect to the man shortly after his demise.
Mira Sorvino is well-known for her roles in films like Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion and television series like Shining Vale. She also won an Oscar for “Mighty Aphrodite”. She initially expressed her frustration on social media, sharing a post on Instagram that showed a photo of her father and other actors who were not included in the tribute. In an addendum to that earlier Instagram post, Mira Sorvino said that she was “incredibly hurt” at Paul Sorvino’s Oscars omission.
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This was followed by sharing an article from USA Today, via twitter, about how the Oscars failed to mention her father while also passing along her earlier remarks to her followers on this social media site.
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!! https://t.co/dbgcfb1qy3 via @forthewin
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) March 13, 2023
Along with Paul Sorvino, Anne Heche and Charlbi Dean, the stars of “Triangle of Sorrow,” a best picture nominee, and Robert Blake were also some of the note-worthy omissions from the ceremony. The In Memoriam tribute during the live broadcast of the ceremony was concluded by sharing a QR code that directed viewers to the Oscars website. It aided them with a detailed list of names that were being displayed on television. Later, the aforementioned actors were all listed on the website.
Similarly, Luke Perry was also previously left out of the 92nd Academy Awards’ In Memoriam. Nonetheless, the viewers might believe that Paul Sorvino was deserving of the cut, given his stature in the acting world.
Dee Dee, Paul Sorvino’s widow, recently shared her sentiments in a statement: “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? ” She continued, “Shame on the Academy if this is not corrected. Mistakes are made, this was a big one. Please do something to make it right.”
In reaction to all of the criticism regarding the In Memoriam montage’s exclusions, the Academy made the following statement: “The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment. An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time. All the submissions are included on A.frame and will remain on the site throughout the year.”
Would you like to know more about the past actor exclusions done in the Academy Awards’ In Memoriam? Please let us know!
Among those who did appear on this year’s In Memoriam were Olivia Newton-John from Grease and Kirstie Alley from Look Who’s Talking, both of whom collaborated with John Travolta, who hosted the segment. Mira Sorvino’s criticism of the Academy’s exclusion of her father, Paul Sorvino, and other celebrities from the “In Memoriam” montage has sparked a conversation about the selection process. While the Academy has defended its decision, many fans and industry figures believe that more could have been done to honor those who have passed away.
Nevertheless, the viewers will still be able to enjoy Paul Sorvino’s collection of work. The complete 95th Academy Awards ceremony could be watched live on Hulu, alongside the 2023 new movie releases.
