Matthew Peyton/Getty ImagesSome stars just can't catch a break—even in death.
Andy Griffith, Phyllis Diller and Larry Hagman were among the veteran actors left out of the Oscars' In Memoriam tribute Sunday night.
Though to be fair, however, the Academy did cover its butt a little bit with a brief awards-show thank-you to those both on and off the list who passed away this year and a more complete gallery it posted online.
"In memoriam: the friends and people we've admired that we've lost this year, and although they're no longer with us, they've left something behind," said George Clooney, who introduced the poignant segment. "Maybe something that makes us laugh or cry or maybe just escape for a couple of hours. So for those friends who are on this list tonight, and many others who aren't, we thank you for the memories."
Despite features credits to their name, it's not a surprise Griffith and Hagman were MIA from the tribute given that their careers are more strongly associated with TV thanks to iconic roles in The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock for the former and I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas for the latter. It's also worth noting that Mayberry's favorite son was honored at last September's Emmy Awards as well.
Diller, on the other hand, is best known as a stand-up comic who appeared in over 30 films, but many of those appearances came as herself in such flicks as 1975's The Sunshine Boys or 2005's The Aristocrats. Though she did provide voices for a number of big-screen 'toons, among them 1998's A Bug's Life.
Other industry folk who failed to make the cut include: director David R. Ellis, best known for directing Samuel L. Jackson in the campy 2006 hit Snakes on a Plane; Our Gang star Jack Hanlon; Family Feud host and Running Man villain Richard Dawson; disco queen Donna Summer; and Ann Rutherford, who played Scarlett O'Hara's sister in Gone With the Wind.