BAFTA responds to Matthew Perry's exclusion from 'In Memoriam' segment
What's the story
The 2024 BAFTA Film Awards took place on Sunday night (early Monday morning per IST) at London's Royal Festival Hall. The event witnessed the presence of major Hollywood celebrities such as Christopher Nolan, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Emma Stone, among others. While the awards were given out successfully, the BAFTA irked a section of the audience due to its decision to exclude F.R.I.E.N.D.S star Matthew Perry from the In Memoriam section. Perry passed away in October 2023.
Clarification
BAFTA offered clarification soon after global backlash
The BAFTA faced immense backlash on social media for omitting Perry, with people resorting to X to call out the decision. A Perry fan called it "bad form," while another labeled it a "shocking omission." Several others used the late actor's melancholic GIFs/images from F.R.I.E.N.D.S to demonstrate their sadness. In response, the BAFTA told PEOPLE, "Perry will be remembered in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards," further announcing the same on X. The BAFTA TV Awards are scheduled for May 14.
Twitter Post
Here's what an upset fan posted
The #BAFTAs not including Matthew Perry in their "In Memoriam" section is my villain origin story. pic.twitter.com/DMT51BZrrg
— Jay Thomas (@GroundhogJay_) February 18, 2024
Fans are still unhappy
But fans need a lot more convincing
However, some social media users are still unhappy, pointing out that Perry appeared in several films, too, throughout his career. One user wrote, "But he was a film actor too!" while another added, "[Perry] made plenty of films... That was a poor decision." To recall, while Perry's biggest claim to fame was F.R.I.E.N.D.S, he was also part of films such as The Whole Nine Yards, Numb, and Birds of America.
Past tribute
Tribute to Perry at Emmys; other honorees in In Memoriam
Perry was notably included in the In Memoriam segment at the 2023 Emmy Awards. As part of the tribute, singer-songwriter Charlie Puth performed his 2015 hit See You Again, which transitioned into the F.R.I.E.N.D.S theme song, I'll Be There For You. As for the BAFTA's In Memoriam, it honored Michael Gambon, Tom Wilkinson, Carl Weathers, and Shirley Anne Field, among others. It was set to Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time and performed by Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Sex Education).
Perry's untimely demise
Perry died of 'acute effects of ketamine'
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence on October 28. He was 54. The autopsy report revealed that the actor reportedly died of "acute effects of ketamine," with drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects mentioned as contributing factors. The report also stated Perry, who once struggled with addiction, was "clean for 19 months" before his death. However, he had been practicing ketamine infusion therapy to treat anxiety and depression, it added.
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