Eric Dane's Absence From Oscars 2026 In Memoriam Has People Fuming (But They Missed One Key Fact)

Each year, the Oscars includes an "In Memoriam" segment that honors those in cinema who passed away in the last year. This year, we had touching tributes to Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford. Others in the film industry had their photos and names shared on screen; however, one person who wasn't included was Eric Dane. Dane passed away on February 19, 2026; he was diagnosed with ALS in 2024. Some people were outraged that Dane wasn't included, but it may have been because Dane was more so a TV star than in he was in film, best known for shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria." Hopefully he'll be getting honored at the 2026 Emmys in September. But even so, netizens aren't happy.

One person wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) what many people seemed to be feeling, "I was sad that Eric Dane didn't appear in the in memoriam tribute at the Oscars." Some people thought he'd been forgotten, and it got quite heated for others. "Was Eric Dane not in this memorial??? Cause I'm finna beat everybody up!!!", one person exclaimed, via X.

And in a discussion about all the actors, like Dane, who weren't included, one person said: "strange how the In Memoriam remembers some names but forgets others who shaped the screen, every legacy deserves its moment of respect."

Eric Dane wasn't the only actor who people think was unreasonably snubbed during this year's Oscars "In Memoriam." James Van Der Beek, who died on February 11, 2026, was also not included. Both Dane and Van Der Beek are listed on the "In Memoriam" website of the Academy Awards. People getting angry over the "In Memoriam" segment is not a new phenomenon. Each year, there are those stars who passed away and don't get mentioned at the Oscars, and it causes an uproar, like in 2025, when Michelle Trachtenberg didn't make the cut for the show.

A committee within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decides who makes it in the final show "depending on their contribution to filmmaking," per CNN. One insider revealed to Vanity Fair that it's hard work to narrow down the list of hundreds of names: "It's all about status. It's impossible to be fair. You try, every year, to add in a certain number of editors and art directors. It's about a person's prominence in their field, and you don't want to just go with the movie stars or the big-time directors."