Chuck Norris, Nicholas Brendon & More Left Out of 2026 Emmys In Memoriam as James Ransone’s Widow Speaks Out | Just Jared
Several familiar stars were missing from the televised In Memoriam tribute at the 2026 Emmy Awards.
The segment aired during the ceremony on Monday night (September 14), with Noah Kahan performing Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” as the montage recognized television performers and creatives who died during the past year.
The telecast also included separate tributes to Dolly Parton, Catherine O’Hara, and Rob Reiner. However, viewers noticed that several prominent names with significant television credits did not appear in the broadcast.
Which stars were omitted from the televised tribute?
Among the most notable omissions were Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris, who died on March 19, 2026, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Nicholas Brendon, who passed away a day later.
Nicholas appeared in all seven seasons of Buffy as Xander Harris and later held a recurring role on Criminal Minds. His former Buffy co-star Anthony Head was included in the televised montage.
During their co-presenter segment, stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz gave their own tribute to the late Buffy stars, including Michelle Trachtenberg, who died at age 39 in February 2025.
“David and I would like to acknowledge it’s been a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew, and we feel very lucky to have known and worked with such amazing people,” Sarah said from the stage.
Robert Redford was also absent. Although he was primarily known for being a movie star, Robert began his career with numerous television appearances on shows like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He later executive produced AMC’s Dark Winds and made an uncredited appearance on the series. But he was honored during the 2026 Academy Awards.
Other stars missing from the broadcast included Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place actor Patrick Muldoon, Big Love actress and Lilo & Stitch voice star Daveigh Chase, 30 Rock star Grizz Chapman, longtime voice actors Peter Cullen and Tom Kane, The Wire and It star James Ransone, and The Gong Show personality Jaye P. Morgan.
James Ransone’s widow slams the Academy
James omission has been met with criticism by his widow, Jamie “Skipper” McPhee. She took to her Instagram Stories on Monday night to call out his absence in the televised broadcast.
“My husband @jamesransone was not acknowledged in memoriam at tonight’s Emmys,” McPhee wrote (via Entertainment Weekly), referring to her husband by his nickname, PJ. “He was also not at the Oscars earlier this year. PJ was impossible, lovable, intolerable and incredible — depends on who you ask. But without question — he was a great actor.”
She followed up with another post on Tuesday afternoon, writing, “I didn’t watch the Emmys so l only now understand how much of a snub this truly was.”
“I am incredibly disappointed @televisionacad,” she continued. “@Jamesransone was an incredibly gifted actor and it simply is not right to not acknowledge him and his work.”
The Television Academy maintains a larger online memorial
The omissions were limited to the broadcast. Many of the individuals who did not appear in the televised montage are recognized in the Television Academy’s more extensive online In Memoriam database, which honors performers, writers, producers, and other television professionals.
The Academy instead maintains its searchable online memorial as a broader record of industry figures who have passed. All of the names listed above as omitted are included in the online memorial.
See the complete list of stars who won Emmy Awards on the big night.
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