Why wasn’t Matthew Perry in the 2024 Emmys’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment?

Every year, awards ceremonies pay tribute to those in the entertainment industry who have recently passed away. At the 2024 Emmys, singer and rapper Jelly Roll performed his song “I Am Not Okay” during the “In Memoriam” segment. Before singing, the artist said, “I hope that this song can act as a healing moment for those mourning the storytellers we have lost this year.”

Among those honored include Bob Newhart, James Earl Jones, Donald Sutherland, Phil Donahue, and Shannen Doherty, but many wondered why Friends star Matthew Perry wasn’t included. 

Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, at 54 years old. Initially, the actor was thought to have drowned in the hot tub at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. His toxicology reports, however, showed that while the actor indeed drowned, it was only a secondary factor in his death. The medical examiner ruled that Perry died from acute effects of ketamine, an anesthetic that is also used for pain management and depression. The amount of ketamine found in his system was high enough to make him unconscious. Although his death was ruled an accident, five people were charged in connection to the incident.

The reason why Matthew Perry wasn’t honored at the 2024 Emmys

There’s a good reason why Perry wasn’t honored at the 2024 Emmys, and that is because he had already been honored at the 2023 Emmys, which took place four months later than the original schedule. The 2023  Emmys ceremony was supposed to take place in Sept. of that year, as is usual, but due to the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike, organizers of the awards show decided to postpone the ceremony to allow the union and the studios to settle their disputes.

The 2023 Emmys took place on Jan. 16, 2024. Initially, Emmys organizers discussed including the Friends cast, but the idea was scrapped, as Perry’s death had just happened a little over two months prior. Emmy producer Jesse Collins told The Hollywood Reporter, “We had talked about it early on — but I can imagine, from their side, they’re mourning someone who was still very close to them. I can’t speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon.”

At the 2023 Emmys, singer Charlie Puth, alongside the husband and wife duo known as The War and Treaty, sang “See You Again” during the “In Memoriam” segment. Among those honored were Bob Barker, Angela Lansbury, Paul Reubens, Kirstie Alley, and more. After the song, the performers seamlessly transitioned into a mellow version of The Rembrandts’ “Ill Be There For You,” the theme song of the sitcom Friends, and Perry was the last artist featured on the “In Memoriam” slideshow that was shown onstage.