Kirk Douglas will be included in Sunday’s Oscars after producers raced to include him in the “In Memoriam” section, it emerged Thursday.
The package of tributes for those lost since 2019’s awards was already finished, but Douglas was too monumental a figure in Hollywood history not to be included after his death Wednesday at 103, Variety said.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made sure the editing team reworked the segment to give him worthy respects, the report said.
Douglas has played a key role in Academy Award history, although it remains “unclear” if additional tributes are being planned in time for Sunday’s event at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The screen legend was first nominated for an award in 1950 for his role in “Champion,” also getting nominations in 1953 for “The Bad and the Beautiful” and 1957 for “Lust for Life.”
His most moving awards moment came in 1996, when he was presented an honorary Oscar for his “50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community” — getting an emotional ovation just two months after suffering a severe stroke.
He also made an impact while presenting awards, such as flirting with Anne Hathaway in 2011. “She’s gorgeous! Wow! Where were you when I was making pictures?” he asked of the actress.
His son, fellow actor Michael Douglas, announced the death in a post Wednesday, writing, “Dad — I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son.”
“Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come,” Michael wrote.