The Academy Awards are an annual celebration of the best (more or less) that the film industry had to offer during the previous calendar year, but since 1994, the event has also served as a depressing reminder of all the great talent that the world has lost.
The “In Memoriam” segment is a montage set to the somber music, with still photos and video clips of beloved actors, writers, directors, and cameramen (many of which you’ve probably never heard of). The way the Academy chooses which names make the cut is not perfect and has been described as “subjective,” which means that even in death some of our favorites will be snubbed.
Here are some of the more surprising omissions from the past 23 years.
