The “In Memoriam” segment of Sunday’s 75th Primetime Emmy Awards paid tribute to a slew of small-screen stars who passed away over the past year, but social media users were quick to point out the big names who weren’t included in the montage.
The touching segment featured rapper Jelly Roll saying a few words before performing his 2024 song “I Am Not Okay” as a montage of deceased stars played inside the Peacock Theater and on television. Those featured in the segment included Donald Sutherland, James Earl Jones, Martin Mull, Richard Lewis, Richard Simmons, Shannen Doherty, Gena Rowlands, Chance Perdomo and Carl Weathers.
In some quarters there has been general confusion online due to the omission of Friends star Matthew Perry, who passed away on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54. Perry's absence was excused because the Television Academy paid special tribute to the actor at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in January, after they were postponed due to the Hollywood double strike.
However, social media users felt that the exclusion of the likes of Shelley Duvall, Erica Ash, Johnny Wactor, Tyler Christopher, Joe Flaherty and Chita Rivera had a negative impact on the TV Academy.
Although best known for her film work, Duvall, who died in July at age 75, was a two-time Emmy nominee. The actress was closely associated with children's television. She was the creator, writer and executive producer of Bedtime Stories by Shelley Duvall and creator and executive producer of Tales and legendsDuvall was nominated for both performances.
Ash, a comedian and actress who died in July at the age of 46, starred in MADTV AND The Great Gay Sketch Showand later starred in the Starz sitcom Survivor's remorse.
Wactor was known for playing Brando Corbin in the series General Hospital and Johnny in the NBC series Siberia. In May, the actor was murdered in a robbery in Los Angeles. He was 37 years old.
Another General Hospital star, Tyler Christopher, was also omitted. Christopher played the characters Nikolas Cassadine and Connor Bishop on the ABC soap. He died in October 2023 at the age of 50, his death being caused by alcohol poisoning.
SCTV Joe Flaherty was also a glaring omission, particularly since the late comedian was a colleague of Emmy host Eugene Levy. Flaherty, who died in April at age 82, also had the pivotal role of Harold Weir on the NBC cult show. Freaks and geeks.
Rivera's television career spanned seven decades. Although the actress, who died in January at age 91, achieved most success in the theater, she still appeared in numerous high-profile shows, including The Carol Burnett Show, Dick Van Dyke's New Show, Dora the Explorer AND Will and Grace.
Many of the names missing from the televised In Memoriam segment, including Ash, Duvall, Wactor and Rivera, have been added to a more comprehensive In Memoriam section on the Emmys website.