Nicholas Brendon, Chuck Norris & More Left Out of Emmys In Memoriam
Buffy’s Nicholas Brendon, Chuck Norris and More Left Out of Emmys 2026 In Memoriam Segment
While they’ll forever stay in fans’ hearts, there were a few late TV stars who weren’t included in the 2026 Emmys in memoriam segment.
Take Nicholas Brendon, for instance. While the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor died at age 54 in March, he was not featured in the televised tribute. Still, his former costars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz acknowledged the losses their TV family has faced—which also include the deaths of Anthony Head (who was in the in memoriam tribute) at age 72 in June and Michelle Trachtenberg at age 39 in February 2025—earlier in the program.
"David and I would like to acknowledge it’s been a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew,” Gellar said while presenting an award with Boreanaz, "and we feel very lucky to have known and worked with such amazing people."
Similarly, many were surprised to not see Walker, Texas Ranger's Chuck Norris in the tribute after his death at age 86 in March or Robert Redford, who died at age 89 in September 2025 after last year's Emmys and had acted in and produced shows like Dark Winds and Death Row Series in addition to being a movie star.
Others noticeably absent from the televised in memoriam included 30 Rock’s Grizz Chapman, who died at age 52 in May; Powerpuff Girls voice actor Tom Kane, who passed away that same month at age 64; and Days of Our Lives’ Patrick Muldoon, who suffered a fatal heart attack at age 57 in June.
Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images/Jason Merritt/Getty Images/Rindoff/Charriau/Getty Images
Social media users also called out the omission of Daveigh Chase, who in addition to starring as the titular Lilo in Disney's animated film Lilo & Stitch acted in shows Big Love and Oliver Beene before she died at 39 in June.
In addition, voice actor Peter Cullen from Transformers: Prime and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as well as Gong Show panelist Jaye P. Morgan—who both passed away weeks before the 2026 Emmys in August at ages 85 and 94, respectively—were not featured.
However, the Television Academy did pay tribute to these and more late TV stars on its website. Before the ceremony, chairman Cris Abrego told Variety that since "so many big iconic names" died in the last year that it was “not feasible” to include everyone in the broadcast.
Still, there were many moving tributes during the telecast. Sally Field and Reba McEntire honored Dolly Parton, who died at age 80 in August following a private battle with cancer, and Home Alone’s Macaulay Culkin as well as Schitt’s Creek Annie Murphy and Dan Levy paid their respects to their onscreen mom Catherine O’Hara, who passed away at age 71 in January from a pulmonary embolism with rectal cancer as the underlying cause.
Jamie Lee Curtis also remembered Rob Reiner after he and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were fatally stabbed in December, and Noah Kahan performed a music tribute in memory of all the stars honored in the televised in memoriam segment.
The 2026 Emmys were hosted by Mariska Hargitay, with The Pitt and Widow’s Bay taking home the top prizes of Outstanding Drama and Comedy Series, respectively. To see more from the award show, read on.
Outstanding Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
WINNER: The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends and Neighbors
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
WINNER: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
WINNER: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
WINNER: Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
WINNER: Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos Manuel-Vesga, Pluribus
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Nobody Wants This
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
WINNER: Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Carell, Rooster
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
WINNER: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
WINNER: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Leslie Bibb, Hacks
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
WINNER: Betty Gilpin, Widow's Bay
Cherry Jones, Hacks
Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
Lauren Weedman, Hacks
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Michael J. Fox, Shrinking
Brett Goldstein, Shrinking
Hamish Linklater, Widow's Bay
WINNER: Rob Reiner, The Bear
Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Tal Anderson, The Pitt
Brittany Allen, The Pitt
Tina Ivlev, The Pitt
Miriam Shor, Pluribus
Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age
WINNER: Shailene Woodley, Paradise
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Colman Domingo, Euphoria
WINNER: Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt
Jeff Hiller, Pluribus
Jeff Kober, The Pitt
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses
Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
The Beast in Me
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
WINNER: DTF St. Louis
Beef
All Her Fault
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
WINNER: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
WINNER: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
WINNER: Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
Summer House
Welcome to Wrexham
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
WINNER: Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Love is Blind
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race
WINNER: Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Outstanding Variety Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
WINNER: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
WINNER: The Traitors
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable
WINNER: The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour, The Final Show
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
WINNER: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Martin Short, Match Game
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