To the chagrin of countless Mexican moviegoers, the first actor Ignacio Lopez Tarso did not appear in the In Memoriam of the Oscar 2023. As every year, this solemn section is intended to honor those professionals in the film industry who passed away in the course of the last year.
This is how some surprised or dissatisfied users reacted on Twitter that the Hollywood Academy made such an omission:
Tarso was one of the most recognized actors in film, television, and the theater scene in Mexico. His presence in national cinema goes back to the Golden Age, a period in which he starred in Macario (1968) by director Roberto Gavaldón; an iconic production that stands out in its more than 70 years of experience, although it is also remembered for titles such as The golden rooster (1964) and masons (1976).
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Ignacio López Tarso passed away at the age of 98, on March 11, 2023, that is, just one day before the Oscar ceremony. Therefore, a (very valid) theory is that his death occurred so last minute that it was impossible to include him in the video projected during In Memoriam. However, it should be noted that he was not the only renowned Mexican in the world of cinema who was left out of the tribute. They were also not considered Jorge Fons and Hector Bonilla.
Fons, who died in September 2022 at the age of 83, managed to establish himself as one of the most important and prominent film directors in Mexico thanks to emblematic films such as Red Dawn (1989) and the alley of miracles (nineteen ninety five). He also served as president of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences between 1998 and 2002.
Bonilla, who died at the same age as Fons in November of last year, was a Mexican actor who twice won the Ariel Award in the Best Actor category for his leading roles in Meridian 100 (1976) and Red Dawn (1989). In addition, in 2019 he was awarded the Ariel de Oro in recognition of his vast career and filmography.
The In Memoriam section of the 2023 Oscar was scored by New York singer Lenny Kravitz, who performed his song “Calling All Angels” on piano.
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.
