Hulk Hogan—who died in July 2025 at age 71— was a wrestling icon who enjoyed varying degrees of success when crossing over into mainstream Hollywood films, yet he was still noticeable omitted from the “In Memoriam” segment at last night’s 98th Oscars ceremony.
His film career began with what turn out to be the most successful credit on his acting resume: Rocky III. While he was relatively unknown at the time, his cameo as Thunderlips has been credited for being one of the catalysts for the rise of wrestling’s
popularity in the 1980s.
Unfortunately, his on-screen work struggled to connect with movie audiences after that. Notably, he starred in the Vince McMahon-backed No Holds Barred in 1989, which reportedly made a minimal profit but failed to live up to expectations. Savagely reviewed by critics, the film has since at least taken on something of a cult classic status due to its unrelenting campiness.
Other high-profile flops like Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny followed, before Hogan starred in even more obscure fare like Santa with Muscles, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, and The Ultimate Weapon.
While his acting ability can surely be debated, Hogan helped open the door for other wrestlers who found more crossover success, such as Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista. But for Hogan (real name Terry Bollea), his biggest impact on culture remains being without a doubt one of wrestling’s most famous wrestlers.
Perhaps the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences wanted to distance itself from Hogan, who saw controversy increasingly following him in recent years. One of the most notorious incidents involving the star was a sex tape that was recorded in 2007 being leaked to the public, and the inclusion of a racist rant in the tape led to his temporary removal from WWE.
More recently, Hogan further polarized wrestling fans by campaigning for Donald Trump during the Republican’s successful 2024 presidential run. During a promotional event in the lead-up to the election, Hogan was recorded saying he wanted to “body slam” Trump’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. He also used a Native American stereotype in reference to Harris, who is part Indian.
No matter the reason, Hogan joined other well-known names in being left out of Sunday’s “In Memoriam.” Also missing from the segment were Brigitte Bardot, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, James Van Der Beek, and Eric Dane.
What do you think? Was the Academy wrong in leaving Hogan out of the “In Memoriam” segment? Let us know what you think in the comments.
