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Emmys 2020: Uproar as late stars left out of ‘In Memoriam’
The Primetime Emmy Awards have come under fire after viewers were left upset over the ‘In Memoriam’ segment of the show.
Every year, they play a montage of stars who have sadly passed away throughout the year, with yesterday’s show being no different.
Late actress Naya Rivera was included, as were late actors Chadwick Boseman, and Jerry Stiller, as H.E.R. performed a rendition of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U'.
However, fans online were left furious after Nick Cordero, Kobe Bryant and Kelly Preston were all left out of the montage.
“Am i the only one confused as to why Kobe wasn't a part of the in memoriam section??? he was literally involved in the film industry and even has an emmy governors award. they had to make the choice to exclude him like it’s so weird,” one person wrote online.
“Hey @TheEmmys on @ABCNetwork. Why wasn't @iamNickCordero included in your #InMemoriam? He was on TV shows like @BlueBloods_CBS and @nbcsvu. Plus he died from #COVID19. Disappointed at the #Emmys,” another person wrote.
“Kelly Preston was better known for film, but she made appearances on television shows and deserved to be included in the In Memoriam,” a third said.
Now, former Scrubs actor Zach Braff has revealed that he made a push for Broadway star Nick Cordero to be included, but “the Emmys chose to leave Nick Cordero out.”
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“I had no idea one had to campaign to get their loved one in,” Braff tweeted on Monday morning. “We did. They passed.”
The Scrubs actor was very close with Cordero, who passed away in July after contracting COVID-19. Cordero, who would have turned 42 last week, is survived by wife Amanda Kloots and their 1-year-old son.
Braff also shared a note from the Television Academy that was sent ahead of the virtual show. It was explained that Cordero’s name would be “given every consideration for inclusion.”
“With so many people passing in any given year, we simply cannot ensure any particular individual is included, nor do we release the names of those included prior to the telecast,” the statement read.
Some pointed out on social media that Cordero — known for his work in Broadway shows like Rock of Ages and Waitress — didn’t have many television acting credits. However, he appeared on shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Blue Bloods.
Braff pointed out how his Scrubs co-star, Sam Lloyd, was also excluded from the “in memoriam” segment. Lloyd also appeared on Desperate Housewives, Cougar Town and dozens of other shows. He died earlier this year after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
“I would have never even considered ‘campaigning’ for Sam because he had more TV credits than most actors I know,” Braff wrote.
With extra reporting by Taryn Ryder
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