I admit it – I bored my way through the Oscars on Sunday like far too many world wide. And I actually was surprised when Kathryn Bigelow won for best director – not because she isn’t talented, but because James Cameron seemed poised to win and win and win.

But it was when they mentioned the people who had died that I was disturbed the most – not because Bea Arthur and Farah Fawcett were left out (I didn’t find this out until later), but that some of the people who did die this year had a very strange connection – Kathryn Bigelow herself:

• Ron Silver passed away in 2009. Among his many movies was a co-starring role opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in Blue Steel, directed by Kathryn Bigelow
• Patrick Swayze succumbed to cancer as well in 2009. Known for Dirty Dancing, he was also known for a movie called Point Break, along with Keanu Reeves, and directed by Kathryn Bigelow
• Natasha Richardson died from a freak head injury n March of 2009, leaving behind her husband, actor Liam Neeson. And along with Harrison Ford, he starred in K-19: The Widowmaker, directed by (you guessed it), Kathryn Bigelow

Now of course it’s just random (freak) coincidence – but I’m curious if there were other projects Kathryn was on that had people pass away in 2009. Anyone know anything? And while on the topic, has this occurred any other time to any other Oscar award winner?