BAFTA 2024 is facing a lot of backlash for multiple reasons. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fans are not keeping quiet as the awards event forgets to honour late actor Matthew Perry.
His name doesn’t feature in the In Memoriam segment, and criticism erupted online. Moreover, the event snubbed Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon, completely ignoring the trailblazer films.
BAFTA Irks Hollywood Fans
While Oppenheimer swept the majority of the awards, as expected, one thing no one saw coming was how snobbish the BAFTA is. At the 2024 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Matthew Perry’s name was not mentioned in the Memoriam section.
Jane Birkin, Shirley Anne Field, Richard Roundtree, Michael Gambon, Tom Wilkinson, and Carl Weathers are remembered.
In contrast, at the Emmys, Charlie Puth gave a heartfelt tribute and played the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. theme song mid-concert when Perry’s photo was shown. Fans are irked by BAFTA’s treatment of their beloved Chandler Bing and are not taking this snub lightly. They took to X/Twitter to vent. One user wrote, “Shame on you @BAFTA for not acknowledging @MatthewPerry #BAFTA2024.”
BAFTA Responds
To pacify the outraged fans, BAFTA revealed their reasons for the omission to People magazine. A spokesperson said, “I can confirm Matthew Perry will be remembered in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards.” Still, fans were pissed and called out the organization, “Tina Turner was mentioned as an actress but Matthew Perry was NOT. #Baftas #BAFTA2024 #BAFTA.”
On X, BAFTA’s official handle they linked the above article and said, “Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony.” That also backfired as users pointed out, “Shocking omission of Matthew Perry in memoriam section tonight — yes he was famous for a TV show but he was also a movie actor… poor show #BAFTAs.”
While he embodied Chandler Bing, that is not the only famous project Perry had done. He also appeared in popular films up to the early 2000s, co-starring the likes of Salma Hayek and Bruce Willis in “Fools Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards.” In his memoir, Perry mentioned how proud he was to act in films, and as a fan tweeted, “A mention at least at the Film Awards would’ve been lovely. He would’ve appreciated the recognition.”
Entire Nominations Ignored
Not just at the Oscars, but Barbie also got snubbed at the BAFTA 2024. The Nolan directorial Oppenheimer won big and left all other movies ignored. Barbie, which received 5 nominations in total, was not even considered.
Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, lost all 9 nominations. Bradley Cooper starrer Maestro, with 7 nominations left empty-handed. All in all, BAFTA 2024 ruffled several angry feathers by dismissing such huge talents.