Every year, the Academy Awards honor the members of the filmmaking community that passed away over the course of the year. This year's memoriam reminded viewers of some of the most prominent deaths over the year including Patrick Swayze, David Carradine and Michael Jackson -- but there were more than a few curious absences as well.
After the jump, we've remembered five of the motion picture professionals that died in 2009 but were absent from the Oscar's memoriam segment.
Bea Arthur: Best known as Dorothy Zbornak on "Golden Girls" and Maude Findlay on "All in the Family" and "Maude," Bea Arthur passed away in 2009 at the age of 86. She was two weeks away from her 87th birthday. Arthur's body of film work includes "Mame," "Lovers and Other Strangers" and a bit role in "History of the World, Part I."
Captain Lou Albano: WWE wrestling icon Captain Lou Albano died in his sleep in October of 2009. Like Arthur, Albano's film credits are relatively few, though he did appear in John Ritter's "Stay Tuned." On television, Albano traded in his trademark beard for a mustache as Mario in "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!"
Ed McMahon: Beloved for his lengthy turn as the announcer of "The Tonight Show," Ed McMahon passed away at the age of 86 after a series of recent health scares. McMahon's film work included 1982's "Butterfly," 1998's "Mixed Blessings" and 1999's "The Vegas Connection."
Farrah Fawcett: After a long battle with cancer, Farrah Fawcett succumbed to her illness in June of 2009 on the same day that Michael Jackson passed away. Undoubtedly best known as Jill Munroe on "Charlie's Angels," Fawcett also had several screen credits including "The Cannonball Run" and "Dr. T and the Women."
Henry Gibson: Character actor Henry Gibson died of cancer one week before his birthday in September of 2009. While the aforementioned actors spent most of their careers on television, Gibson was well established on the big screen with roles in "The Blues Brothers," "Bio-Dome" and "Magnolia." He was also known for his work as a voice actor in television shows like "Rugrats," "Hey Arnold" and the cartoon adaptation of "Charlotte's Web."
Who else did the Academy miss during their memoriam segment? Let us know in the comments section and on Twitter.
