Patrick McGoohan was not included in the 2009 Academy Awards tribute to those who passed away in the previous year (even though he had been in Braveheart which won 5 Academy Awards, in 1996 - including Best Picture). Thankfully, he was included in the tribute at the 2009 Emmy Awards (screen cap below)- an Award he won twice for work on Columbo in 1975 and 1990. 

Patrick Joseph McGoohan was born at 4:31 a.m. on March 19th, 1928 in Astoria, Long Island, New York. His father, Thomas McGoohan was an Irish farmer who had married Rose Fitzpatrick in the 1920's. They then emigrated to the United States of America to look for work. His parents did not stay in the U.S. for long and moved back to Ireland. Seven years later they moved to Sheffield, England. At this early age Patrick had a number of health problems such as acute bronchial asthma. His strong Catholic upbringing pushed him towards an ambition of becoming a Roman Catholic priest. He spent his later years in other parts of England where he eventually gave up ideas of priesthood and became interested in the theatre. In 1944 he left school and worked for a year at the Sheffield British Rope Company. A local youth club was putting on an amateur production and Patrick got his first role. After working in a bank for another two years he took a job managing a chicken farm in Chesterfield while a member of several dramatic societies. In 1947, while unemployed (he was allergic to chicken feathers) Patrick strolled into the Sheffield Repertory Theatre and was accepted as stage manager. For the next two years he assisted with stage management, sets, lighting, etc. One night, when a lead actor became ill Patrick received his big break - eventually becoming a leading man with this theatre company.
Here Patrick met his future wife Joan Drummond. In 1951 Joan and Patrick were married in Sheffield. They made time between performances of The Rivals and Taming of the Shrew to have the wedding. In 1952 a daughter, Catherine, was born and the father kept himself busy with various acting parts. A role in the play Serious Charge at the Garrick Theatre led to his film debut in 1955 in Passage Home. This was a minor part which led to other small parts in The Dam Busters, I Am A Camera and The Dark Avenger. A five year contract later came about with the Rank Organization which gave him his first permanent filming appointment. Following this four films were completed with Rank grooming McGoohan for stardom. McGoohan left Rank a year early to pursue roles that he wanted. While working on the stage, McGoohan won the Best Television Actor of the Year Award for his part in a TV play called The Greatest Man in the World. McGoohan signed a contract with Walt Disney to do three films, the first two being Dr.Syn (alias the Scarecrow) and The Three Lives of Thomasina.
Lew Grade, chairman of ITC had seen Patrick on television and was interested in casting him for a new half hour action adventure series. The role as secret agent John Drake in Danger Man was changed from Grade's original intent to a non-violent man who gets the job done without a gun while declining to show him in any love scenes. McGoohan left the role of Danger man to pursue other stage and screen roles, he even had a role in a 1962 play called The Prisoner. His role as John Drake was so popular that in 1964 Danger Man was brought back as a series of one hour episodes, also to be shown in North America under the title of Secret Agent. McGoohan even turned down the role of James Bond in the film Dr.No. With his third child already born, McGoohan was ready to end his role as John Drake after a total of 86 episodes. McGoohan had been given the go ahead by Lew Grade to produce a new ITC series in colour called The Prisoner.
The Prisoner at its time was a risky venture, being the most costly television production for its time. A collaboration with David Tomblin and writer/editor George Markstein produced a total of thirteen episodes to this point. McGoohan took weeks off to star in the 1967 film Ice Station Zebra with Rock Hudson and Ernest Borgnine and returned to find that Markstein had left the production. The last four episodes were shot in a short period of time. After the final episode aired, the McGoohan family vacationed in Switzerland to rest, and to avoid the critical reaction to the ending of the series. After starring with Alan Alda in 1970's The Moonshine War, McGoohan took two years off before returing to direct the musical Catch My Soul starring Richie Havens in a role that was offered to Jim Morrison at one time. His friendship with Peter Falk led to two guest spots on Columbo. One appearance won McGoohan an Emmy award. In 1976 he starred in the hugely successful Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor film Silver Streak. Even though another attempt with a televison series (Rafferty) did not meet with success, McGoohan was at a high point in his career once again due to the commercial success of his recent films.
He starred in a Canadian film called Kings And Desperate Men, which was notable for a number of reasons - one being the reunion of McGoohan and Alexis Kanner, whom had a significant role in the final episode of The Prisoner. Kanner directed this film, which flopped commercially but gained renewed success years later on cable. Many different types of films followed such as Scanners with Canadian horror director David Cronenberg and the mini-series Jamaica Inn with Jane Seymour. To fulfil his commitment with Disney, McGoohan did one last film called Baby which was the story of a baby dinosaur. Like a number of his villian roles, the film ended with McGoohan's character being killed off in a unique way. After returning to the stage for the play A Pack of Lies in New York, a few television movies and an appearance on Murder She Wrote were the only notable acting roles up until 1990.
In 1990 McGoohan reunited once again to direct and star with Peter Falk in a Columbo television movie. McGoohan won another Emmy for his role in this film. After his portrayal of George Bernard Shaw in 1994's Best of Friends for public television, McGoohan made a triumphant return to the big screen in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. As the evil King Edward Longshanks, fans saw the a role that McGoohan really sunk his teeth into with great lines to boot. Braveheart went on to win Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson at the next year's Academy Awards. With a minor role in the film version of The Phantom, McGoohan starred once again in a commercially successful film as Judge Omar Noose in A Time To Kill. With no other recent film or television roles (with the exception of Hysteria which was only released on Cable), rumours began once again on the topic of a film version of The Prisoner.  After another an appearance in another Columbo TV film,  a  new McGoohan project was eagerly awaited by fans.  Unfortunately, McGoohan's last two projects were animated voices, quite fittingly he voiced No.6 on TV a final time for a well loved episode of The Simpsons in 2000.
McGoohan unofficially retired after this, and little was heard from a man who when in the spotlight was already very private.  Meanwhile, after years and many failed attempts, a new version of The Prisoner began filming in 2008.  A TV version by AMC, it is starring Sir Ian McKellan as No.2 and James Caviezel as No.6.  Many fans of McGoohan were hoping for a cameo or some sort of role in the new production.  Alas, before it had the chance to air McGoohan passed away quietly in his home of Santa Monica, Calfornia on January 13th, 2009.  Tributes from around the world came from fans who wanted to remember the man who brought such fire and presence to many roles over the years.

Rest in Peace Patrick -  be seeing you.