Why Eric Dane and James Van Der Beek were excluded from 2026 Oscars In Memoriam tributes

It was the long-anticipated 98th Academy Awards last night (15 March), and cinephiles around the globe tuned in to see which of their favourite celebrities ended up bagging an Oscar and which ones went home empty-handed.

This year’s ceremony expanded its In Memoriam segment following a year that saw the deaths of several major Hollywood figures.

Director Rob Reiner received a dedicated tribute, with actors who worked with him on films such as When Harry Met Sally..., This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, and The Princess Bride appearing on stage to reflect on his legacy.

Barbra Streisand also honoured Robert Redford with a performance of 'The Way We Were', the song from their 1973 film The Way We Were.

Other figures recognised during the segment included Diane Keaton and Catherine O'Hara,

Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane and Dawson's Creek actor James Van Der Beek were omitted from the televised In Memoriam tributes at the 2026 Oscars (Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

Even with the extended segment, the broadcast could not include everyone the industry lost between ceremonies.

Among those omitted from the televised In Memoriam tribute were James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane, despite the pair both passing away earlier this year.

Dane died at age 53 last month (19 February) after being diagnosed with ALS in April of last year, while Van Der Beek passed away at age 48 shortly before (11 February) after a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.

Both late actors were primarily known for television, though they did also have several film credits.

While Van Der Beek, best known for his television work in Dawson's Creek and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, is widely associated with TV, he also built a notable film career, including a lead role in the 1999 sports drama Varsity Blues.

Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria star Dane, meanwhile, appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Marley & Me (2008), Valentine's Day (2010) and Burlesque (2010) - just to name a handful.

While their names did not appear in the broadcast tribute, they were included in the Academy’s longer In Memoriam list published online.

Some of those left out of the broadcast, including Van Der Beek and Dane, were primarily known for television, though most had film credits (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

2026 Oscars nominees and winners

Best Director

• Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another - WINNER
• Ryan Coogler - Sinners
• Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme
• Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
• Chloé Zhao - Hamnet

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• One Battle After Another - WINNER
• Train Dreams

Best Original Screenplay

• Blue Moon
• It Was Just an Accident
• Marty Supreme
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners - WINNER

Best Original Song

• 'Dear Me' - Diane Warren: Relentless
• 'Golden' - KPop Demon Hunters - WINNER
• 'I Lied to You' - Sinners
• 'Sweet Dreams of Joy' - Viva Verdi!
• 'Train Dreams' - Train Dreams

The big winners last night (ABC/ITV/Warner Bros)

Best Original Score

• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners - WINNER

Best International Feature

• It Was Just an Accident
• Sentimental Value - WINNER
• Sirât
• The Secret Agent
• The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Animated Feature

• Arco
• Elio
• KPop Demon Hunters - WINNER
• Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• Zootopia 2

Best Documentary Feature

• Come See Me in the Good Light
• Cutting Through the Rocks
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin - WINNER
• The Alabama Solution
• The Perfect Neighbor

Best Costume Design

• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• Frankenstein - WINNER
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• Sinners

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

• Frankenstein - WINNER
• Kokuho
• Sinners
• The Smashing Machine
• The Ugly Stepsister

Best Production Design

• Frankenstein - WINNER
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners

Best Sound

• Frankenstein
• F1 - WINNER
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Sirât

Best Film Editing

• F1
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another - WINNER
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners

Best Cinematography

• Frankenstein
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners - WINNER
• Train Dreams

Best Visual Effects

• Avatar: Fire and Ash - WINNER
• F1
• Jurassic World Rebirth
• Sinners
• The Lost Bus

Best Live Action Short

• A Friend of Dorothy
• Butcher's Stain
• Jane Austen's Period Drama
• The Singers - WINNER
• Two People Exchanging Saliva - WINNER

Best Animated Short

• Butterfly
• Forevergreen
• Retirement Plan
• The Girl Who Cried Pearls - WINNER
• The Three Sisters

Best Documentary Short

• All the Empty Rooms - WINNER
• Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
• Children No More: Were and Are Gone
• The Devil Is Busy
• Perfectly a Strangeness

Best Casting

• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another - WINNER
• Sinners
• The Secret Agent

Best Picture

• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• F1
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another - WINNER
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Train Dreams

Best Actor

• Timothée Chalamet - Marty Supreme
• Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
• Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon
• Michael B Jordan - Sinners - WINNER
• Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent

Best Actress

• Jessie Buckley - Hamnet - WINNER
• Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
• Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
• Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
• Emma Stone - Bugonia

Best Supporting Actress

• Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
• Amy Madigan - Weapons - WINNER
• Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners
• Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actor

• Benicio del Toro - One Battle After Another
• Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein
• Delroy Lindo - Sinners
• Sean Penn - One Battle After Another - WINNER
• Stellan Skarsgård - Sentimental Value