An emotional part of every Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast is the farewell to those actors we’ve lost in the past year.
This year’s broadcast on CBS featured a tribute to the late stars that was accompanied by the song “Go Rest High on the Mountain,” sung by Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill.
Interestingly, as Variety reported, some notable stars weren’t showcased during the solemn farewell, including:
- “Alice” star Polly Holliday, who died September 9
- Wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan
- “What’s Happening”star Danielle Spencer
- Graham Greene
- Tony Todd
- “General Hospital” star Leslie Charleson
Also missing from the segment were King of the Hill actor Jonathan Joss, Lynne Marie Stewart of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, The Sopranos actor Jerry Adler and Dennis the Menace himself, Jay North, Variety reports.
Introducing the segment onstage was Phylicia Rashad, who remembered her Cosby Show son Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who unexpectedly died on July 20.
“Malcolm-Jamal Warner remains in our hearts,” Rashad said.
Stars such as Downton Abbey standout Maggie Smith, Good Times actor John Amos, MASH veteran Loretta Swit and Ozzy Osbourne were remembered — along with Twin Peaks creator and co-star David Lynch. The segment ended with a final slide dedicated to music legend Quincy Jones.
Many of the names omitted from the main show were included on a longer scroll on the TV Academy’s website, as Variety noted.
Fans expectedly lash out every year when certain beloved stars actors aren’t included in the actual broadcast. Often, as Variety notes, this is due to time constraints since the segment is only a few minutes long.
In breaking down the highs and lows of the 2025 Emmys broadcast in general, one highlight was the opening sketch with host Nate Bargatze. It was based on his viral Saturday Night Live skit “Washington’s Dream.” He played the inventor of television Philo T. Farnsworth, who told three of his assistants — played by SNL stars Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson — what television would look like in 100 years.
