Redford died just days after last year’s Emmy Awards.

Robert Redford and Nicholas Brendon left out of the 2026 Emmys ‘In Memoriam’

Redford died just days after last year’s Emmy Awards.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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and Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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September 14, 2026 11:21 p.m. ET

Nicholas Brendon; Robert Redford. Credit:

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty; Arnold Jerocki/Getty

- Robert Redford and Nicholas Brendon were not included in the 2026 Emmys “In Memoriam.”

- Catherine O’Hara, James Burrows, and Hayden Panettiere were among those honored.

- The late film icon started and finished his career on TV.

Legendary actor Robert Redford and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer** *star Nicholas Brendon were noticeably absent from the 2026 Emmys “In Memoriam” segment on Monday.

Redford died Sept. 16, 2025, just two days after last year’s Primetime Emmys, and while he was memorably remembered at March’s Academy Awards, the same couldn’t be said for TV’s biggest night. Brendon, who died March 20 at age 54, was similarly excluded, despite his late *Buffy* costar Anthony Head being featured during the moving memorial.

The segment, which saw Noah Kahan perform Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 hit “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” instead paid tribute to several other late stars including Catherine O’Hara, Rob Reiner, James Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, Hayden Panettiere, Tim Curry, and Dolly Parton.

Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.

Online USA/Getty

Redford is undoubtedly known for his film work. One of the defining movie stars of his era, he was also an acclaimed filmmaker, winning Best Director at the Oscars for 1980’s *Ordinary People*, and a true champion of independent cinema, having co-founded the Sundance Film Festival.

And yet, Redford was a constant presence on television early in his career. His onscreen work started in 1960 when he appeared on seven TV shows, including a one-episode guest spot on *Perry Mason*. The next few years included time on *The* *Twilight Zone* and *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour*.

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For the next six decades, Redford was essentially absent from the TV world, but his last role was on 2025’s *Dark Winds*. Redford was a producer on the still airing AMC psychological thriller, and he had an uncredited appearance in the season 3 premiere. In a brief scene, Redford and fellow *Dark Winds* producer George R.R. Martin were playing chess in a cell at the Navajo Tribal Police Station.

Back in March, Redford’s *The Way We Were* costar Barbra Streisand led an emotional and musical tribute to the late icon at the Oscars. The decision to use Streisand initially seemed to cause some drama, with Jane Fonda wondering why she wasn’t asked since “[Streisand] made one movie with him, I made four.” But Fonda later insisted that she “thought I was being funny” and “believes that Redford would have “liked” Streisand’s “beautiful” performance.”

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Brendon, whose credits include *Buffy* and *Criminal Minds*, died of atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with acute pneumonia and a previous heart attack listed as contributing factors. The actor, who played Xander Harris on the supernatural series, was remembered by his costar Sarah Michelle Gellar after his death, who wrote in part, “I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky.”

In her own statement, his costar Alyson Hannigan added, “My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers. I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP 💔😢”

The Emmys excluding Brendon from its “In Memoriam” segment comes after his *Buffy* costars Gellar and David Boreanaz presented the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie in celebration of the supernatural series’ 30th anniversary. While onstage, the pair took aim at the *Buffy* revival’s cancellation earlier this year.

“You know, Sarah, I always thought that Buffy and Angel would end up together,” Boreanaz said. To which Gellar simply responded, “Well, I guess we won’t find out.”

**Watch EW and PEOPLE’s interview with *The Four Seasons* star Colman Domingo on the Emmys red carpet below.**

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Source: “EW Emmys”