Did the Emmys “forget” Matthew Perry? In Memoriam tribute explained

As expected, last night’s Emmys ceremony included an In Memoriam segment – but some viewers have been left upset and even angry at Matthew Perry’s apparent omission.

It was a big night for three TV shows above all others: Baby Reindeer, Shogun, and The Bear, winning a whopping 33 awards between them, including Best Limited Series, Best Comedy, and Outstanding Drama.

Between all the statuettes and speeches, the ceremony took a moment to pay tribute to the stars and creatives we’ve lost in 2024. Jelly Roll performed a slow rendition of ‘I Am Not Okay’, telling the audience: “I hope that this song can act as a healing moment for those mourning the storytellers we have lost this year.”

The segment included James Earl Jones, Carl Weathers, and Donald Sutherland. However, as several fans have noted, it didn’t feature Matthew Perry, who died in October 2023 – but there’s a good reason.

Matthew Perry appeared in the Emmys’ last In Memoriam

Perry was included in the 2023 Emmys’ In Memoriam segment, which took place in January this year.

Due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the Emmys delayed its 2023 awards to the start of 2024, meaning there’s been two ceremonies this year.

During the last ceremony, the In Memoriam segment was scored to Friends’ theme song, ‘I’ll Be There For You’, with the tribute ending on an image of Perry.

It’s easy to see how some viewers may have forgotten or even missed January’s broadcast. “Why was Matthew Perry omitted from the list?” one user asked on X/Twitter.

“During the memorial for those who passed how the heck did they omit #MatthewPerry. This was a horrific disrespectful oversight,” another wrote, while a third posted: “I sat here in tears listening to Jelly Roll just thinking of him. I am so sad about his death. If Jennifer Aniston struggled to see him mentioned, then ok.”

One thing is certain: the Emmys didn’t forget Matthew Perry. However, another omission has sparked backlash: Shelley Duvall, who died in July this year.

While the actress was best known for her roles in The Shining and Robert Altman’s films, she was nominated for an Emmy for Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories in 1992.

“Shelley Duvall was left out of the main Emmy’s because why,” one user complained. “The #Emmys In Memoriam was excellent with very few omissions – but leaving out Shelley Duvall was catastrophic. A TV icon for her Faerie Tale Theatre alone,” another wrote.

Amid the criticism, the Shelley Duvall Archive posted: “I know Shelley Duvall doesn’t have to be included in an award show’s ‘In Memoriam’ segment to be properly honored bc she did get her (literal) well-deserved flowers from myself + many others while she was still with us. More than Hollywood would ever do for her.”

Make sure you check out our list of TV shows streaming this month and new movies you should watch.