In Memoriam Oscars 2019: Who Is The Most Important Celebrity That Died In The Last Year?

By Mark Graham @unclegrambo

Published Feb. 24, 2019

Updated Feb. 26, 2019

collage of Verne Troyer Margot Kidde Aretha Franklin Burt Reynolds Stan Lee Penny Marshall — A lot of Hollywood icons have died this year. However, only one can anchor the In Memoriam montage. So who will it be? Follow along!Photos: Getty, Everett Collection ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

**NAME:** Verne Troyer
**AGE:** 49
**DATE:** 4/21/18
Verne Troyer was a little man who made a huge impact on Hollywood after stealing the show as "Mini-Me" in the first Austin Powers movie, *The Spy Who Shagged Me*, back in 1999. He went on to star in a few more projects with his pal Mike Myers, but fame (infamy?) resulted in his spiraling alcoholism. He's among the most beloved movie stars who passed away this year, but he's not emblematic of how Hollywood perceives himself. NEXT!©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Evere

ROCK ALL NIGHT, Dick Miller, 1957 — **NAME:** Dick Miller
**AGE:** 90
**DATE:** 1/30/19
Dick Miller, pride of The Bronx, appeared in over 100 movies during his long career. Many of these films were of the low budget variety; Roger Corman was a big supporter of his. He appeared in box office smashes like *Gremlins* and *The Terminator*, but because he was never quite "leading man material," he's going to have to settle for an early appearance in the In Memoriam montage.Photo: Everett Collection

THAT KIND OF WOMAN, from left: Sophia Loren, Tab Hunter, 1959 — **NAME:** Tab Hunter
**AGE:** 86
**DATE:** 7/8/18
Tab Hunter was one of the preeminent matinee idols of the '50s and '60s, perhaps peaking in fame with his role in the movie version of *Damn Yankees* in 1958. Rumors of Hunter's sexual orientation --he was homosexual, but not out of the closet until much later in life-- slowed his career trajectory, but he experienced a new level of fame and respect when his memoir *Tab Hunter Confidential* was published in 2005. He's an icon, no doubt, but sadly not quite pole position material.Photo: Everett Collection

TWO DEATHS, director Nicolas Roeg, on-set, 1995, ©Castle Hill / courtesy Everett Collection — **NAME:** Nicolas Roeg
**AGE:** 90
**DATE:** 11/23/18
Nic Roeg was a leading auteur of the '70s, helming influential classics like *Don't Look Now* and *The Man Who Fell To Earth*. His films were never quite box office smashes, though, so that's why he's placed where he is on this list.Photo: Everett Collection

THE BLUES BROTHERS, Aretha Franklin, 1980. ©Universal. Courtesy: Everett Collection — **NAME:** Aretha Franklin
**AGE:** 76
**DATE:** 8/16/18
The Queen of Soul was an undisputed titan of the music industry. Hollywood? Not so much. As Ariana Grande would say, "Thank u, next."Photo: Everett Collection

FULL METAL JACKET, from left: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, 1987, © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett — **NAME:** R. Lee Ermey
**AGE:** 74
**DATE:** 4/15/18
"WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION?" R. Lee Ermey positively EXPLODED onto the screen in Stanley Kubrick's *Full Metal Jacket*, drawing on his real life experience as a Marine corps drill instructor to scare the shit out of the likes of Matthew Modine and Vincent D'Onofrio. The convincing nature of his performance led him to a slew of similar roles over the next 30 years of his career, but the In Memoriam powers-that-be are not impressed by one trick ponies. NEXT!Photo: Everett Collection

SUPERMAN, from left: Margot Kidder, Christopher Reeve, 1978, © Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett — **NAME:** Margot Kidder
**AGE:** 69
**DATE:** 5/13/18
Margot Kidder was at the top of her game in the late '70s, thanks to her role as Lois Lane in the *Superman* franchise. She worked steadily, if semi-unspectacularly, throughout the '80s, but fell on some serious hard times during the '90s due to her bipolar disorder. She shined very brightly there for awhile, but not bright enough to be the biggest shining star of the In Memoriam montage.Photo: Everett Collection

(Original Caption) Fort Lauderdale, Florida: H. Wayne Huizenga, chairman of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation, wants to build a nationwide chain of video cassette rental stores. During the first quarter of this year, Blockbuster opened or acquired 84 stores and, as of June 30, they operated 235 stores, up from 19 at the end of 1986. — **NAME:** Wayne Huizenga
**AGE:** 80
**DATE:** 3/22/18
"Wayne who?" you're probably saying. Wayne Huizenga made his first fortune in the garbage business, which he then parlayed into becoming the owner of Blockbuster Video. You know how much money Blockbuster Video made for Hollywood? More than you can even dream of. He wasn't a "creative," though, so he's relegated to the back half of the In Memoriam.Photo: Getty Images

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, Carol Channing, 1967 — **NAME:** Carol Channing
**AGE:** 97
**DATE:** 1/15/19
Channing was a star of both stage AND screen, winning a Tony Award for *Hello Dolly* in 1964. She dipped her toes in the Hollywood waters, earning an Oscar nom in '67 for her turn in *Thoroughly Modern Millie*, but her true passion was pounding the boards and spent most of her career in New York City, far away from La La Land. You know what that means by now, don't you? ... NEXT!Photo: Everett Collection

COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL, Stan Lee, 1988, © Cinecom/courtesy Everett Collection — **NAME:** Stan Lee
**AGE:** 95
**DATE:** 11/12/18
Stan Lee made more money for Hollywood than just about ANYONE in history. He invented the Marvel universe, for chrissakes! That said, he has no serious bonafides as either a screenwriter or director, which means this is about as far as he can possibly make it in the cutthroat hierarchy of the In Memoriam montage.Photo: Everett Collection

LAST TANGO IN PARIS, from left, director Bernardo Bertolucci, Marlon Brando, on location in Paris, — **NAME:** Bernardo Bertolucci
**AGE:** 77
**DATE:** 11/26/18
The legendary Italian auteur is a two-time Oscar winner, thanks to his work writing and directing *The Last Emperor* in 1987. More famously, though, he wrote and directed *Last Tango In Paris*, one of the most controversial films in the history of cinema. He came under some fire during the last few years for his treatment of the female lead of that movie, Maria Schneider, though, which means that he ended his life more or less as a *persona non grata* in Hollyweird. Next!Photo: Everett Collection

THE CHEAP DETECTIVE, Marsha Mason, (double exposure), screenwriter Neil Simon, 1978, ©Columbia Pictu — **NAME:** Neil Simon
**AGE:** 91
**DATE:** 8/26/18
One of the most celebrated playwrights in the history of the Great White Way, Simon also experienced considerable success as a screenwriter. He won a Golden Globe in 1978 for his screenplay of *The Goodbye Girl*, and also racked up four Academy Award nominations over the years (but no wins). However, Simon's true calling was the theater, and Hollywood knew it, which is why he doesn't have a shot at being the In Memoriam anchor this year.Photo: Everett Collection

BIG, Penny Marshall (director), Tom Hanks, 1988, on-set. TM and Copyright (c) 20th Century Fox Film — **NAME:** Penny Marshall
**AGE:** 75
**DATE:** 12/17/18
You'd be hard-pressed to find many people more beloved in Hollywood than Penny Marshall, who started her career as a TV actress (back when TV was a ghetto) but eventually became one of the most successful commercial directors of the '80s and '90s. Her resume is impeccable (*Big*! *A League Of Their Own*! *Awakenings*!), but due to rampant sexism never really got her due from either critics or the industry at large. No Oscar nominations means she has to cede way to...Photo: Everett Collection

William Goldman near Theater Sign — **NAME:** William Goldman
**AGE:** 76
**DATE:** 11/16/18
Regarded as one of Hollywood's all-time greatest screenwriters, William Goldman's talent was only exceeded by his popularity and his respect amongst his peers. Goldman won two Academy Awards during his legendary career, one for *Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid* (1970) and one for *All The President's Men* (1977). That said, writers --even those as successful as Goldman-- are still considered second-class citizens in Hollywood, sitting well below actors, actresses, and directors on the Hollywood totem pole. Sorry Billy, but this isn't your year.Photo: Getty Images

TOM JONES, Albert Finney, 1963 — **NAME:** Albert Finney
**AGE:** 82
**DATE:** 2/7/19
Recency matters! Finney's death is still fresh on the minds of the editors slaving to put the In Memoriam tribute together, and his five (!) Oscar nominations for Best Actor put him EVER-SO-CLOSE to the prestigious anchor slot. Sadly, though, he never managed to win one, which means that this year's In Memoriam anchor will almost certainly be...Photo: Everett Collection

**NAME:** Stanley Donen
**AGE:** 94
**DATE:** 2/21/18
Talk about recency! Donen just died YESTERDAY. His resume is untouchable --*Charade*! *Singin' In The Rain*! *Funny Face*!-- but the Academy Awards never gave musicals their due during his time. Donen, somehow, has ZERO Oscar nominations, save for the honorary Oscar he took home back in 1998. Close, Stanley, but no cigar. You're gonna have to cede this one to the one, the only...Photo: Getty Images

NAME: Burt Reynolds AGE: 82 DATE: 9/6/18 — **NAME:** Burt Reynolds
**AGE:** 82
**DATE:** 9/6/18
This one is going to bring the house down. Burt was never a critical darling --his one and only Oscar nomination was for *Boogie Nights* in 1998-- but he was the biggest box office star IN THE WORLD from 1977 to 1983. In other words, he made a LOT of people a LOT of money. Add in the fact that he was the Sexiest Man Alive, and wildly popular with audiences, and ladies and gentlemen, you have yourself an In Memoriam anchor (or my name ain't Orville Reddenbacher.)
UNTIL NEXT YEAR!Photo: Everett Collection

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The 91st Academy Awards are being held on Sunday February 24, and we all know what the most important moment of the evening is going to be. Best Picture? No way. The host? Whoops. No sir, the most memorable segment of any and every Oscars ceremony is always the In Memoriam montage!

This annual mash-up of Hollywood’s recently deceased, tinted in sepia and accompanied by maudlin music, is infinitely more complex in nature than your standard awards show montage. Like a great mixtape, a well-executed tribute to dead celebrities has to ebb and flow just so, playing well both in the room AND to the millions of people watching at home in their living rooms. For starters, you have to lead off with a notable death in order to get the applause rolling, but then maintain momentum throughout the piece, all the while saving the most “important” death for last. Here at Decider, we call this position of the In Memoriam segment the “anchor” slot.

With that in mind, what you’ll find here is a guide to handicapping who we think the Academy feels is the most “important” person to die since last year’s telecast. So let’s take a moment to handicap which star of the silver screen will be anchoring this year’s In Memoriam segment.

UPDATE (10:36PM): Our powers have failed us. Burt Reynolds was NOT the anchor, but rather … Albert Finney! He was #4 on our list, but #1 in our hearts. Until next year!