Charlie’s Angels star Farrah Fawcett and Golden Girls diva Bea Arthur may have best been known for their work in television, but they both also starred in numerous films. So why exactly did the Academy Awards seemingly ignore both actresses in the Memoriam tribute Sunday night?
The Memoriam video is a traditional part of every Academy Awards and last night the Oscars paid tribute to fallen stars such as Patrick Swayze, Ron Silver, Natasha Richardson and David Carradine. Two very well known names in particular, however, were missing from the tribute – Farrah Fawcett and Bea Arthur.
Farrah Fawcett is best known, of course, for her role on Charlie’s Angels and TV films like The Burning Bed. However, she also starred in movies like The Cannonball Run, The Apostle and Extremities, for which she was nominated for a best actress Golden Globe. Golden Girls star Bea Arthur also had a notable film career, including roles in the Oscar-nominated film Lovers and Other Strangers and Mame.
Fans of both actresses are upset the two were not included in the Oscars Memoriam tribute, especially since the Academy did include Michael Jackson. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded to the controversy by saying that there just is not enough time to include everyone in the film industry that passed away over the last year. “Every year it’s an unfortunate reality that we can’t include everybody, spokeswoman Leslie Unger said, according to the London Daily Telegraph.
We’re sure it is difficult as hell to decide who will be included in the memorial montage every year, but leaving out people like Farrah Fawcett and Bea Arthur just seems totally off the rocker. Half the people in the montage had less recognition in the movie industry than these two amazing ladies. If Michael Jackson gets to be considered a “movie star” then not including Arthur and Fawcett is just plain rude.
>> Previously:Â Academy Awards 2010 Winners List