The 2026 Emmy Awards were held on Monday, September 14, and amid the joy of the awards and celebrations of great television came the In Memoriam segment, a heartfelt moment to remember some of the world’s biggest stars who have passed away. This year’s broadcast failed to include several actors, including James Ransone.
Ransone died on December 19, 2025, at age 46. His wife, Jamie “Skipper” McPhee, shared her disappointment about his exclusion from the segment in several Instagram posts.
James Ransone’s Wife Addresses His Exclusion from the Emmys
Getty“My husband @jamesransone was not acknowledged in memoriam at tonight’s Emmys,” McPhee wrote on her Instagram Stories, Entertainment Weekly reports. “He was also not at the Oscars earlier this year. PJ was impossible, lovable, intolerable and incredible — depends on who you ask. But without question — he was a great actor.”
She continued, “But good news is PJ wouldn’t care. He’d actually think it’s funny.”
Ransone was beloved for his work on the hit television show “The Wire” and had memorable roles in “Generation Kill,” “Treme,” and “Bosch.” On Tuesday, September 15, McPhee commented on her husband’s exclusion again, this time sharing her sadness.
“I didn’t watch the Emmys so l only now understand how much of a snub this truly was,” she wrote. “I am incredibly disappointed @televisionacad. @Jamesransone was an incredibly gifted actor, and it simply is not right to not acknowledge him and his work.”
James Ransone’s Brilliant Career
GettyOn September 15, McPhee also shared a photo on Instagram of Ransone from a poster about “Generation Kill.” In the caption, she shared a lengthy message about what he means to her, the brilliant actor he was, and who he was as a person.
“The first time I hung out with PJ was after dinner with Camille and Rene,” she began, referring to Ransone by his nickname, PJ. “Driving me home, he told me he hadn’t gotten some TV show, so he was quitting acting to become a war journalist. I said, ‘Dude, I haven’t seen anything you’re in, but your face is on the side of a bus, so I think you made it.’ Generation Kill ads were all over LA. Classic PJ: ‘What do you mean?’ I told him, ‘If you make a living creating anything, you already won.’”
McPhee reflected on their love story and how they started as friends and later fell in love. She discussed Ransone’s role in “Generational Kill,” and noted how their “brilliant friend Evan Wright, who wrote Generation Kill, was honored in the 2024 Emmys In Memoriam.” McPhee went on to list Ransone’s 25-plus television credits and criticized his exclusion from the In Memoriam segment. “He didn’t just deserve acknowledgement last night, He earned it,” she wrote.
The small silver lining is the support that McPhee has been shown: “I got so many messages today. I told people not to be angry. PJ would’ve found it funny. But then his mom came over and mentioned it, and my heart broke a little. Fortunately, so many people have shown me and our kids so much love these last 9 months that my heart is very big. I can handle it.”
Fans Show Their Support For James Ransone’s Widow
GettyMcPhee was grateful for all the support she has received and acknowledged that many people have continued to celebrate Ransone. “From all of us who love and miss @jamesransone, we just wish we’d seen him on that screen for a moment. Would’ve been great to see his smile. It really would,” she wrote. She concluded her message by thanking fans and loved ones for their continued support.
The post’s comment section has been flooded with supportive messages. “Don’t worry buddy, way more people will see this post than saw the Emmys,” a comment reads. “I was so upset when I saw he was not in the in memoriam segment. Sending you love,” another person shared.
“It was a glaring omission. He earned it and should have been included. Sending you all my (love),” a third fan wrote.
