BAFTA have issued a response, after viewers complained that Friends star Matthew Perry was not included from the In Memoriam segment.
The BAFTA Awards took place last Sunday, honouring the best new releases and cinema talent over the past year.
On the night, Irish actor Cillian Murphy took home the accolade for Best Actor, thanks to his role in the Christopher Nolan directed Oppenheimer.
Accepting the award, Murphy called himself a “proud Irishman”. More on that here.
Complaints Made Amid Perry Exclusion
Later in the programme, the awards ceremony came in for major criticism as Friends actor Matthew Perry was not mentioned in the In Memoriam section.
For the segment itself, actor Hannah Waddingham renowned for her role in Ted Lasso, performed Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’, while the screen displayed images and clips from key figures in the film industry, who passed away since last year’s ceremony.
The names included, Jane Birkin, Carl Weathers, Glynis Johns, Julian Sands, Tina Turner, Tom Wilkinson, along with Alan Arkin, Harry Belafonte, and Sir Michael Gambon.
However, there was one absentee, which did not go unnoticed among viewers.
“Only came to make sure I wasn’t the only person saddened at the glaring omission by @BAFTA of #MatthewPerry during the in memoriam tributes! #BAFTA2024 I’m pleased to see it’s not just me!”, one fan wrote on social media.
Another viewer also added, “No mention of Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorial?! Bad form @BAFTA”.
“He will be honoured”
Following this strong criticism on social media, BAFTA released this statement, insisting that the exclusion of Matthew Perry from this In Memoriam segment was not an oversight.
They added that the late actor will be honoured at the BAFTA TV Awards this May instead.
“We confirm he will be honoured in our forthcoming Bafta television awards in May, and on the in memoriam section on our website”, a statement read.
Matthew Perry sadly passed away last October aged 54, after being found dead at his home in LA.
Last November, Matthew Perry’s stepfather Keith Morrison paid tribute to the actor, while also calling for people to support The Matthew Perry Foundation, which was set up to help people struggling with addiction.
Alongside Perry, TV director Roy Battersby will also be included at this forthcoming TV awards, with a spokesperson hailing Battersby as “a renowned and trailblazing director”.
