Judson Mills has criticized the Emmy Awards for excluding Chuck Norris from the 2026 In Memoriam segment, calling the decision a tragic mistake. The Walker, Texas Ranger actor worked alongside Norris for two seasons and clearly still holds him close. Tributes exist to honor departed legends, yet several deserving names were left off the screen this year. Mills was among the first insiders to speak up, adding momentum to the growing discussion online.

While fans mourned Norris quietly at home, one co-star decided silence was not an option, and what he said next cut far deeper than expected.

Judson Mills did not mince words about the Chuck Norris snub, calling it nothing short of tragic. He played Francis Gage opposite Norris in the final two seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger and its television movie sequel.

"To see him not receive recognition at all and to see the family not receive that recognition was disappointing," Mills said in an interview with TMZ.

He then added, "It hurt my feelings for sure. He was a legend for God's sake," summing up why the omission stung so personally.

Mills also spoke about Gena O'Kelley, Norris' widow, revealing that his first thought after hearing about the snub was for her and the rest of the family. During the same interview with TMZ, he expressed confidence that Norris himself would have encouraged forgiveness rather than resentment. Mills described Norris as someone who never made things about himself, a trait many colleagues frequently mentioned. That humility, Mills suggested, made the public omission feel even more unfair to those who knew him best.

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Norris was far from alone in this oversight, as several other television figures faced the very same fate.

Chuck Norris was not the only industry figure missing from the tribute, as Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon was also excluded from the segment. This omission felt particularly notable since the ceremony had already featured a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion between Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz earlier in the night. Also absent were Days of Our Lives actor Patrick Muldoon, The Gong Show panelist Jaye P. Morgan, The Ring actress Daveigh Chase, and 30 Rock performer Grizz Chapman. Each of these names represented decades of television history that went unacknowledged on stage.

Brendon passed away in his sleep at 54, just one day after Norris died at 86, making their shared exclusion feel especially striking to fans. Chase died in June, Muldoon in April, and Chapman in May, yet none of their names appeared during the broadcast. Reports suggest limited runtime forced producers to trim the list, though several missing names were reportedly listed on the Television Academy's website instead. For an industry built on remembering its own, the Emmys left plenty of important tributes unspoken this year.

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What are your thoughts on the Emmys snubbing Chuck Norris and other television legends? Let us know in the comments.