Paul Sorvino’s Widow Slams Oscars For Omitting Actor From ‘In Memoriam’ Segment

Actor Paul Sorvino died back in July of 2022. He was 83 when he passed. Known for playing authority figures in criminal and law enforcement worlds, Sorvino was omitted from the In Memoriam segment of the 2023 Oscars, which mourns those who passed the previous year. Sorvino’s widow, Dee Dee Sorvino, nee Benkie, is denouncing this move.

Sorvino met Dee Dee, a political pundit, when he appeared as a guest on Your World With Neil Cavuto. The two married in December 2014. In the past, Sorvino had been with Lorraine Davis from ’66 to ’88, and Vanessa Arico from ’91 to ’96. Sorvino’s name was not the only star left out of the In Memoriam program, either and Dee Dee’s voice is not alone in its protests.

Dee Dee Sorvino calls out the Oscars for leaving Paul Sorvino out of ‘In Memoriam’

The In Memoriam segment of the Oscars presentation mourns actors, directors, and other prominent figures – including Hollywood stakeholders – who passed. Sorvino’s name was among those left out, leaving Dee Dee and numerous fans frustrated. “Paul Sorvino was one of the greatest actors in cinematic history in Hollywood,” Dee Dee said. “It is unconscionable that he would be left out of the ‘In Memoriam’ segment of the Oscars.”

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She continued, “It’s a three-hour show, they can’t give a couple more minutes to get it right? Paul Sorvino gave decades to this industry. Everyone loved him.” When the program also included a QR code, Dee Dee fired off, “Paul was not the only deserving soul left out, and a QR Code is not acceptable. The Academy needs to issue an apology, admit the mistake, and do better.”

Others agree with Dee Dee Sorvino and missed additional big names

Because fuck your QR codes…

Fred Ward
Phillip Baker Hall
Gilbert Gottfried
Joe Turkel
Paul Sorvino
David Warner
Clu Gulager
Anne Heche
Leon Vitali
Leslie Jordan
Kevin Conroy
Jason David Frank
Albert Pyun
Clarence Gilyard
Melinda Dillon
Cindy Williams

And so many others…

— Jonathan Ruggiero (@jruggiero86) March 13, 2023

In addition to Sorvino, the Oscars In Memoriam segment also did not include Anne Heche, who died on August 11, along with Tom Sizemore, March 3, or Leslie Jordan, who passed on October 24. Fans were also upset to see Fred Ward, Leon Vitali, and Cindy Williams absent from the list, with some taking to compiling their own lists.

The Academy might have egregiously forgotten you, ( along with so many others including Anne Heche, Stella Stevens, Leslie Jordan) but many of us will always remember both your excellent acting and your soaring operative voice. #PaulSorvino pic.twitter.com/xTlX2GPHls

— Noirchick In Old Hollywood (@Noirchick1) March 13, 2023

“Can anyone explain why this happens every year?” asked one Twitter user. “Oscars In Memoriam Segment Missing Paul Sorvino, Anne Heche, Tom Sizemore, Leslie Jordan and Charlbi Dean From Oscar-Nominated ‘Triangle Of Sadness.'” Another vowed, “The Academy might have egregiously forgotten you, ( along with so many others including Anne Heche, Stella Stevens, Leslie Jordan) but many of us will always remember both your excellent acting and your soaring operative voice. #PaulSorvino.”

Who did you wish to see in the In Memoriam segment?

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