Academy skips big name during ‘In Memoriam’ tribute at Oscars 2025

The 97th Academy Awards stirred some trouble as they left out a prominent name during the ‘In Memoriam’ section.

The award ceremony, which took place during Sunday in Los Angeles, played its honorary section with a montage of the big names Hollywood had lost in 2024-2025.

Michelle Trachtenberg, who died at the age of 39 just days before the ceremony, was notably missing during the Morgan Freeman-led segment.

Fans online expressed their disappointment for not including a big name in the list.

“Leaving out Michelle Trachtenberg is despicable,” a fan wrote on X. Another added, “michelle trachtenberg not being mentioned in the in memoriam section of the oscars is upsetting, you are and will remain so so loved and admired Michelle [heart emoji],” someone else wrote.

“It’s shameful that the #Oscars didn’t include Michelle Trachtenberg in their memorial montage of all the actors/actresses who have passed within the year!!!!” a third agreed.

Maggie Smith, Gena Rowlands, Teri Garr, Donald Sutherland, Louis Gossett Jr., Shelley Duvall, David Lynch, James Earl Jones and Gene Hackman were all honoured in the section.

Days before the ceremony, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Oscars executive committee is responsible for who ends up in the tribute which has to be in a four-minute video – which is not enough to include everyone.

“We have to recognise all the art forms that go into the creation of motion pictures,” former Academy executive director Bruce Davis, who helped run past committees, said. “And if you include all the people, the steam goes out of the boiler very quickly.”