Friends fans shocked after Matthew Perry is snubbed from BAFTAs’ In Memoriam segment
The organisers of this year’s BAFTAs have come under fire over their decision relating to beloved late Friends star, Matthew Perry.
Celebrity Life
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The organisers of the BAFTAs are facing backlash after its 2024 ceremony inadvertently snubbed Matthew Perry.
The Friends star, who died in October 2023 at age 54, was absent from the EE BAFTA Film Awards’ In Memoriam segment on Monday, reports Page Six.
Perry, who was best known for his role in Friends, was also a movie actor who starred in films like 17 Again and The Whole Nine Yards.
After the tribute — set to Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time — concluded, fans of the late actor jumped on X and slammed the academy.
“Shame on you @BAFTA for not acknowledging @MatthewPerry #BAFTA2024,” one user wrote, while another added, “No mention of Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorial?! Bad form @BAFTA.”
A third tweeted, “Only came to make sure I wasn’t the only person saddened at the glaring omission by @BAFTA of #MatthewPerry during the in memorandum tributes! #BAFTA2024. I’m pleased to see it’s not just me!”
One X user even posted a GIF of Perry’s Friends character, Chandler Bing, saying, “You can’t make this stuff up.”
Responding to Perry’s absence from the tribute, BAFTA tweeted, “Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony,” and shared a link to the academy’s online tribute to the actor.
Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home on October 28. His cause of death was later determined to be due to acute effects of ketamine.
After his passing, Perry was included in the In Memoriam segment during the 2023 Emmy Awards in January.
His photo was shown on screen as Charlie Puth performed his 2015 hit, See You Again, which later segued into the Friends theme song, I’ll Be There For You.
Viewers were surprised to see Perry’s Friends co-stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — weren’t at the show to witness the tribute, but executive producers later revealed the actors weren’t given an invite.
“[Perry’s death is] still very fresh for them,” Emmys EP Jeannae Rouzan-Clay told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview following the ceremony.
Fellow executive producer Jesse Collins also told the outlet that while they “talked about” inviting the cast of the ’90s sitcom, they ultimately decided against it.
“I can imagine, from their side, they’re mourning someone who was still very close to them,” Collins explained.
“I can’t speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon.”
This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission.
More Coverage
Originally published as Friends fans shocked after Matthew Perry is snubbed from BAFTAs’ In Memoriam segment
Queen Mary’s stunning looks on anniversary of rumours: photos
Queen Mary has dazzled onlookers with a series of gorgeous and bold fashion looks following her whirlwind Sydney trip and the anniversary of ‘those rumours’. See the photos.
Irwin family go glam for gala dinner
Robert Irwin and his mum Terri have dressed to the nines for their annual gala to celebrate the life and legacy of Australia’s most loved wildlife warrior.