Fans of Matthew Perry slammed the BAFTA Awards over their perceived snub of the late actor, prompting the show’s executives to respond to all the backlash.
The fury began Sunday night after the 2024 British Academy Film Awards aired a four-minute In Memoriam segment showing images of actors who passed away over the last year, including Carl Weathers, Tina Turner, Chaim Topol, Michael Gambon and Richard Roundtree.
As the photos flashed on screen, actress Hannah Waddingham performed onstage, singing a rendition of Cyndi Lauper‘s “Time After Time.”
It was a wonderful celebration of these famous and talented people … the only problem was Perry was not among those honored.
His fans were upset, expressing their frustrations on the social media app, X.
One person fumed, “No mention of Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorial?! Bad form.”
Another wrote, “Hannah Waddingham’s voice is so beautiful. It’s a shame BAFTA left Matthew Perry off the list though.”
A third grumbled, “No Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorium?? Feels a tad disrespectful. Did they just forget?”
Other Perry supporters noted the actor was not just known for his role on the TV sitcom, “Friends,” but he also had a long and successful movie career.
BAFTA senior execs responded to one angry X user, writing, “Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony.” They also attached a link to Perry’s tribute on the BAFTA website, highlighting his TV and film work.
TMZ broke the story … Perry’s assistant found his body last October floating in a hot tub at his L.A. area home. The coroner performed an autopsy, concluding Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” an anesthetic used to treat depression. Drowning was listed on the autopsy report as a secondary cause of death.
Perry was 54.
