While the best picture mix up was far and away the biggest mistake of the 2017 Oscars there was another mishap that people need to be made aware of. During the “In Memoriam” segment in which Sarah Bareilles was performing a rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now,” at one point the name Janet Patterson – an Australian costume and production designer who passed away in October appeared along with the photo you see above.
During a heart-wrenching tribute to all of the icons Hollywood has lost over the last year, photos and names of iconic stars like Carrie Fisher, Prince, Anton Yelchin, and Mary Tyler Moore were also included. But there was one problem with the image of Janet Patterson. The person in the photo wasn’t Patterson. The four-time Oscar nominee who worked on films like The Piano and Far From the Madding Crowd was confused for her friend, frequent collaborator, and fellow Australian producer Jan Chapman.
Jan made a statement to variety which said
“I had urged her agency to check any photograph which might be used and understand that they were told that the Academy had it covered. Janet was a great beauty and four-time Oscar nominee and it is very disappointing that the error was not picked up.”
See @SaraBareilles perform the In Memoriam segment on the #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/ql463kTAak
– Alan Henry (@AlanHenry) February 27, 2017
