The Emmys ceremony took a special moment to pay tribute to the late talent that died in 2023 during the In Memorium segment. It also included a special nod to the late "Friends" star Matthew Perry.
The solemn moment honored many people behind and in front of the cameras during the Jan. 15 awards show, including a celebration of sitcom pioneer Norman Lear who died Dec. 5 at the age of 101. Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers first shared some words in honor of Lear, before Charlie Puth and husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty were on hand to perform "See You Again."
Stars like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Andre Braugher, Stephen “Twitch” Boss, Treat Williams, Angus Cloud, Lance Reddick, Len Goodman, Bob Barker, Paul Reubens, Kirstie Alley, Suzanne Somers and more were highlighted.
Producers, directors, publicists, executives, camera operators, managers and writers, among others were celebrated by the Academy.
In a surprising moment, Puth and The War and Treaty then transitioned to singing the “Friends” theme song, finishing with a shot of Perry.
It concluded with the faces of many other late talent with Perry in the middle.
Prior to the awards ceremony Emmy Awards executive producer Jesse Collins told Variety that Perry’s death “was a tremendous loss for us all” and they were working to create a moment that shined the light on him, give him “his just due as we are with so many other people that we lost this year.”
“The list of people that we have lost this year is truly some of the best people that have ever worked in television. And so, it’s been challenging to figure out how to make sure that everyone gets their flowers,” Collins added.
Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the 2023 Emmys, which were rescheduled from September 2023 to January 2024, were broadcasted live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with the red carpet starting earlier. The 2023 Emmys are available to watch live on Fox and stream on Hulu the following day.
Leading the list of nominees included “Succession” and “The Last of Us.” There were a number of A-list stars and appearances from famous faces, including reunions from shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Martin,” “Ally McBeal” and more.
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