Fans Lose It Over Bill Hayes, David Soul, and More Being Snubbed During Emmys In Memoriam Tribute

Yasmine Coleman
·2 min read
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Bill Hayes and David Soul

While many viewers applauded the In Memoriam tribute during the 75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Monday night, Jan. 15, hailing it as a beautiful celebration of "so many amazing entertainers" lost in the past year, others were less impressed with the amount of people left out of the segment.

Upon realizing how many late greats were honored at the show, one social media user even questioned, in disbelief, "Did we really lose so many amazing people this past year?"

Related: Emmy Awards' 'Brutal' In Memoriam Segment Had Fans 'Sobbing'

However, rarely has a presentation like this completely nailed it on the head, including every single industry talent that is no longer with us. This year, among notable names missing from the ceremony were Thor actor Ray Stevenson, soap opera stars Bill Hayes and Kamar De Los Reyes, Battlestar Galactica alum Harry Johnson, Starsky and Hutch star David Soul, The Honeymooners' Joyce Randolph, and Star Trek actor Mickey Cottrell.

Fans also noticed the exclusion of Peyton Place and Bones actor Ryan O'Neal, who died on Dec. 8, 2023. His son, Patrick O'Neal, took to X to share his dismay at his father not being included, writing, "Sad and mad is a paralyzing combo," and further responding to a reply comment, doubling down on his stance by adding that the oversight was a "swing and miss big time."

It is unclear how far in advance the presentation for the awards show is compiled, but some internet users pointed out that a few of the deaths may have been too recent to be included last minute, such as Hayes, Randolph, and Cottrell, who passed away just days ago on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13.

Related: Remembering the Stars and Legends We've Lost In 2023

However, Hayes was a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, though, making his specific absence from the roundup more surprising. In these instances, it is likely that those left off for more recent deaths will likely be included in the next ceremony's In Memoriam.

Yet, someone called the omissions "unthinkable," despite the timing.

As previously reported, the Emmys did still highlight plenty of hard-hitting deaths from the course of the year such as Three's Company actress Suzanne Somers, Leslie Jordan, Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, and Len Goodman. "The In Memoriam was hard to watch. I cried," one social media user proclaimed.

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