Mira Sorvino Slams Oscars For Excluding Dad Paul Sorvino From In Memoriam Montage: ‘Baffling Beyond Belief’
Mira Sorvino took to Twitter on the morning after the live ceremony and mentioned her ‘brilliant’ father’s absence in the segment, less than a year after his death.
Mira Sorvino, 55, is calling out the 2023 Academy Awards on Twitter. The actress shared a message of disappointment that the biggest film-related ceremony didn’t include her father, the late Paul Sorvino, who was an actor, in its In Memoriam segment. She also claimed there were other “brilliant departed actors” also missing.
“It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out,” Mira wrote in a tweet on the morning after the live ceremony aired. “The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!!”
Paul, who died at the age of 83 in July 2022, was known for his beloved roles in many memorable films over the years. Some of them included Goodfellas, Romeo + Juliet, A Touch of Class, Reds, The Rocketeer, Nixon, and The Cooler. He also appeared in televisions series like Moonlighting and Law & Order, and was even nominated for a Tony Award at one point.
In addition to Mira, Paul’s widow, Dee Dee, spoke out about him being left out of the Oscars In Memoriam segment after the ceremony. “Paul was not the only deserving soul left out, and a QR Code is not acceptable,” she said in a statement to People magazine. “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,” she added. “Mistakes are made, this was a big one. Please do something to make it right.”
Paul wasn’t the only one who didn’t appear in the segment. Other notable actors who passed away recently, including Anne Heche and Charlbi Dean, were also missing, causing an uproar on social media. They were all later included on the Oscars official website’s In Memoriam page, which held a longer list of names than those featured in the live ceremony.
When asked why they didn’t include certain actors, like Paul, The Academy released an official 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,” the statement read, according to Variety.