Though the 2026 Oscars featured an extended In Memoriam segment to honour artists and filmmakers who died in the past year, but a few high-profile names were noticeably missing from the televised tribute.
Among those excluded were James Van Der Beek of Dawson’s Creek fame, and Bud Cort, star of the 1971 cult classic film Harold and Maude. It was Brigitte Bardot’s absence however that's sparked most controversy, with some speculating that the French actress’s outspoken far-right political views in her later life were the reason.
