On Monday night, Sept. 14, the Emmys paid tribute to the television stars and industry giants who died over the past year, but some familiar faces were noticeably missing from the annual in memoriam segment.
During the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, Noah Kahan performed Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as the telecast honored the beloved actors, creators, and other members of the television community who died since last year's show, including prolific filmmaker Rob Reiner, "Grey's Anatomy" star Eric Dane and "Heroes" actress Hayden Panettiere.
But as is always the case with the in memoriam segment at awards shows, several celebrities were not included, such as action-movie icon Chuck Norris, who died in March at age 86.
Others who
were excluded from the remembrance were "Days of our Lives" star Patrick Muldoon, who died in April, and famed "Transformers" voice actor Peter Cullen, who died in August.
Daveigh Chase was also left out. Though the "Lilo & Stitch" and "The Ring" star, who died in June, may have been better known for her film roles, she also had a number of television credits on shows like "Big Love" and "Charmed," and she voiced Lilo in the "Lilo & Stitch" animated series.
Nicholas Brendon, best known for his role as Xander on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was not in the in memoriam either, though his former costars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz alluded to his death earlier in the telecast.
While presenting an award, Gellar and Boreanaz noted that it has been "a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew," referring to the deaths of Brendon in 2026 and Michelle Trachtenberg in 2025.
"We feel very lucky to have known and worked with such amazing people," Gellar said, though she did not name either actor.
The in memoriam segment is one of the Emmys' most closely watched traditions, though it sometimes becomes a point of controversy. With only a few minutes to recognize a year’s worth of losses across the television industry, the annual televised tribute doesn't always include every person honored by the Television Academy online.
Other awards ceremonies, including the Oscars, draw similar ire online each year for the names they leave out.
The stars honored in this year's segment included Dolly Parton, James Van Der Beek, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Diane Ladd, June Lockhart, Tim Curry, and Sam Neill.
The segment also paid special tribute to Catherine O'Hara and Rob Reiner. For O'Hara, the actress' former costars – Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, and Macaulay Culkin – came together on stage to honor the late "Schitt's Creek" star, with Culkin saying he will "never forget about her."
And for Reiner, Jamie Lee Curtis delivered a tearful tribute to the late actor and director, calling him "generous and kind and funny as hell and a friend to all."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Emmys in memoriam snubs: Chuck Norris, Daveigh Chase among stars left out
