by Paul Sorvino’s family called out the Oscars for not recording them Goodfellas Star in his “In Memoriam” segment.
During Sunday’s (March 12) ceremony, Lenny Kravitz performed “Calling All Angels,” while a screen behind him showed a montage of notable figures from the film world who have died over the past year.
These included Olivia Newton John, Ray Liotta, Angela Lansbury, Jean-Luc Godard and Irene Cara.
Other stars of the segment included Burt Bacharach, Nichelle Nichols, Kirstie Alley and Racquel Welch.
Paul Sorvino, the character actor and opera singer who is known for his menacing performances in films, was conspicuously absent Goodfellas, the gambler, And Romeo + Juliet.
The actor died of natural causes in July 2022 at the age of 83.
After the awards ceremony, Sorvino’s eldest daughter, actress Mira Sorvino, tweeted, “I certainly remember dad that Oscar night…”
The post was linked to an Instagram role of her father, who visibly cried at the Oscars in 1996 after she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Woody Allen Mighty Aphrodite.
In an altered version of the caption, Mira explained that she posted the role before “learning about Dad’s omission and that of some of the other incredible artists from the In Memoriam section.”
“Incredibly hurt and shocked that my father’s lifelong, irreplaceable, tremendous contribution to the world of cinema has been overlooked by everyone who compiled this list,” she said.
“We, his honored family, and you, his honored audience, know how unique and incredible he was.”
“We hope @theacademy does something to rectify this.”
She later tweeted that it was “incredibly baffling that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant late actors were left out.”
“The Oscars forgot Paul Sorvino but the rest of us never will!!” she wrote.
Dee Dee Sorvino, who married Sorvino in 2014, narrated People: “Paul Sorvino was one of the greatest actors in Hollywood film history. It’s unscrupulous that he’s left out of the Oscars’ In Memoriam segment.
“It’s a three hour show, can’t you give a few more minutes to get it right?”
She urged the academy to “issue an apology, admit the mistake and do better.”
An academy spokesman said The Hollywood Reporter that the segment’s selection committee “comprises one representative from each of the 17 branches of the organization and some names more familiar to the public cannot be included as all branches are entitled to representation during the limited time allotted for the segment” .
A spokesman continued diversity: “All submissions are contained on A.frame and remain on the site throughout the year.”
The statement links to a website commemorating Sorvino and others.
Every year there is anger over who gets left out of the In Memoriam segment at the Oscars. Others omitted this year included volcano And Donnie Brasco Actor Anne Heche and British star David Warner (The Omen, Titanic) and Charlbi Dean, the rising star who played the female lead in the Best Picture-nominated film triangle of sadness. Dean died suddenly last year at the age of 32.
