How Did Hugo Chavez Make the List Of 'Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2013'?

Will next year's Oscars telecast (hosted by Ellen Degeneres) also feature a tribute to Hugo Chavez? Could he be part of the annual "In Memoriam" segment that honors all of the celebrities and showbiz insiders who died in the past year? Why are we asking these questions about the dead Venezuelan President?

It has not been six months since Venezuela's president for life, Hugo Chavez, passed away. But the despot lives on, honored by a venerated showbiz tabloid, The Hollywood Reporter, listed among "Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2013."

Image: HollywoodReporter.com

The Hollywood Reporter's list of 42 dead celebs includes names like James Gandolfini, Dennis Farina, and Glee's Cory Monteith. Those three names are true notable Hollywood stars and worthy of this tribute, as are the other 38 recently-deceased people being honored by the magazine.

But the question remains: Why is Hugo Chavez on this list? He did have a show business friend in Sean Penn, but that doesn't make someone part of "Hollywood."

Image: IMDB.com

Does he have an IMDB.com page with a list of his movie and TV appearances?  Not really. However, there is mention of Chavez appearing as "himself" in the 10 year old documentary from Finland called "Chavez: Inside The Coup."

Are there any other politicians or world leaders on the list? Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch made it, but it's fairly easy to argue that Koch was a legitimate celebrity. His 13 acting roles and 70 appearances as "self" validate Koch's place on the list.  Let's not forget that Ed Koch also hosted "The People's Court" when it returned to TV back in 1997.

To see the entire list of "Hollywood's Notable Deaths in 2013" click here.

TheBlaze has reached out to the editors of The Hollywood Reporter regarding Chavez's appearance on their list of "Hollywood's Notable Deaths." If and when the paper responds, we will update this story.

Follow Mike Opelka on Twitter - @stuntbrain

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