The 2026 Emmys’ In Memoriam segment was meant to honor television figures who had passed away during the previous year, but viewers quickly noticed several familiar names missing from the televised tribute. Among the omissions were Chuck Norris, Daveigh Chase, Nicholas Brendon, Peter Cullen, and Tom Kane. Norris, who died in March 2026, had a television career spanning decades and was best known for starring in all nine seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger, while also appearing in shows such as The Goldbergs and Hawaii Five-0. Chase had credits including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, and ER, while Brendon appeared in all 144 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Voice actors Cullen and Kane also had extensive television careers, with credits across The Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Powerpuff Girls, and many other animated productions. Their absence led viewers to question how the memorial list had been assembled.

The Television Academy has explained that the televised segment cannot include everyone who died during the year, and the broader In Memoriam tribute also recognizes people working behind the scenes. Additional names can be found through the Academy’s online memorial, meaning appearing on television is not the only form of recognition. Still, the omissions became a major part of the conversation after the ceremony, particularly because some of the absent performers had long and familiar connections to television. Chase’s manager and friend publicly criticized her omission, while fans online mentioned other entertainers they believed deserved acknowledgment as well. The discussion highlighted how difficult it can be to represent an entire industry in a limited broadcast segment, while also showing how strongly audiences remember performers whose work remained part of their lives for many years.