Beloved bear and accomplished animal actor Ali-oop, has passed away. The cuddly Kodiak appeared in numerous films, most notably Dr. Dolittle 2, and was known for his trademark kiss, where he would stick his tongue out and let anybody give him a smooch.

The passing of Ali-oop sheds light on the ongoing plight of non-human performers. Often overwoked, underfed, and never given ample recognition for their contribution to films. So besides from Ali-oop, we’ll toast a few more animal thespians who more often than not, shine brighter than their on-screen, homo-sapien counterparts.

See the list of greatest animal actors

Cheeta is a pimp chimp, having appeared in countless Hollywood films, and at age 78 is the oldst non-human primate on planet earth. He even has his biography Me Cheeta, scheduled for release in October of this year. You may remember recently I protested that for several years Cheeta has been passed over for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a disgraceful omission that is hopefully rectified soon.

Higgins is far more recognizable from his sreen name of Benji. Higgins spent more than 14 years in show business, and was trained by the same guys as Lassie, who missed the list because multiple dogs portrayed the same legendary pooch. Higgins was a mix of Miniature Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, and Schnauzer, and once graced the cover of TV Guide.

Despite having only one starring role as Willy in the Free Willy movies, Keiko the Orca gained international fame and attention when his struggle to survive in the wild after being released led to him dying as a result of pneumonia of the coast of Norway.

Popcorn Deelites is better known as Seabiscuit, as depicted in the 2003 film starring Tobey Maguire. In real life, Popcorn earned almost $60,000 racing, and is still alive today at a horse rescue and retirement center operated out of Kentucky.

The original Rin Tin Tin was a war survivor who was brought back to the United States and trained to act on screen, where he appeared in at least seven major Hollywood pictures, and inspired scores of other studios to follow suit with specially trained K9s. Rin Tin Tin died in the arms of legendary screen actress Jean Harlow in 1932, and much to the chagrin of Cheeta, Rin Tin Tin did recieve a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.