Tony Todd’s family expected the late actor to be honored along with several others during the 2025 Oscars In Memoriam tribute. However, they immediately became frustrated with the Academy Award’s treatment when his name wasn’t included.
On Monday, in a report from TMZ, Tony’s widow, Fatima Cortez-Todd, is “angry” that the Oscars did not include her husband in their In Memoriam tribute. She also claims that her husband was left out for racial reasons and alleges that women and people of color are too often excluded when the Academy attempts to remember actors who have passed.
Along with appearing in more than 250 film and TV credits after nearly 40 years in the industry, Tony was also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for decades, according to his widow, making his omission even more confusing.
Jeffrey Goldberg, Tony’s rep, said in a statement to TMZ, ““I’ll just say that I’m disappointed that Tony was forgotten ... the Academy might want to reconsider the way they do this section of the broadcast because although it is great that they remember some of those we’ve lost in the past year, they often forget others that should be honored. Tony was my friend and client for over 30 years and I’m just sad that he wasn’t given the honor that he deserved.”
Fans on social media felt that same frustration and made sure to point out that Tony and many other notable actors were not included in the Oscars tribute, including Michelle Trachtenberg, who died less than a month ago.
@horrorsthetics wrote on X, “NO michelle trachtenberg??? NO shannen Doherty ??? NO Tony Todd???? i’m SICK.”
@THEHORRORGOTH posted, “F**k he #Oscars for not including Michelle Trachtenberg and Tony Todd in the memorial tribute.”
@JamesPPoole detailed in a post, “Also, not to be that person, but it feels mad distasteful that they were able to get Gene Hackman in the In Memoriam, but weren’t able to do so for Michelle Trachtenberg. Not to mention, they had all the time in the world to make sure Tony Todd was included, and yet..Shameful.
Tony appeared in several movies in his career but is most beloved for his role in the 1992 horror film Candyman,” where he played the title role. He died in November 2024 at his Los Angeles home after a long battle with cancer.