Zach Braff: The Emmys 'Passed' on Paying Tribute to Nick Cordero
A heartbreaking choice. Zach Braff revealed that close friend Nick Cordero was intentionally left out of the In Memoriam tribute at the 2020 Emmy Awards after fans called out the surprising snub.
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“For those wondering: The Emmys chose to leave Nick Cordero out of the memorial montage. I had no idea one had to campaign to get their loved one in. We did. They passed,” the Scrubs alum, 45, tweeted on Monday, September 21, one day after the 72nd annual Emmy Awards aired.
Cordero, who starred alongside Braff in Bullets Over Broadway in 2014, died at age 41 in July after a months-long battle with the novel coronavirus. The Garden State actor offered Cordero’s wife, Amanda Kloots, and their infant son, Elvis, a place to stay in California as the Tony nominee faced a variety of complications from his COVID-19 diagnosis.
For those wondering: The Emmys chose to leave Nick Cordero out of the memorial montage. I had no idea one had to campaign to get their loved one in. We did. They passed.
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) September 21, 2020
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“Just for clarity’s sake, he didn’t have COVID-19 anymore,” Braff explained during an episode of his “Fake Doctors, Real Friends” podcast shortly after Cordero’s passing. “What COVID did to Nick is what it does to a lot of people, it comes in and wreaks havoc on your body. Then it leaves and you don’t have it anymore, but you’re left with what the doctors called ‘lungs that look like Swiss cheese.'”
Though Cordero made a name for himself on Broadway, he also appeared in small roles on Blue Bloods and Law & Order: SVU throughout his career. After calling out the awards show’s decision not to honor the Canadian actor, Braff shared a statement from the Emmys further explaining their reasoning.
“They did want me to pass along this note,” the Wish I Was Here star tweeted on Monday. “Those involved in the In Memoriam selection process are very aware of the sad passing of Mr. Cordero due to coronavirus and we assure [you] that his name has been given every consideration for inclusion. With so many people passing in any given year, we simply cannot ensure any particular individual is included, nor do we release the names of those included prior to the telecast.”
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Cordero wasn’t the only star who wasn’t included in the tribute package during the awards show. Fans were quick to notice on Sunday, September 20, that Kobe Bryant, Kelly Preston and Sam Lloyd were also left out of the segment despite their impressive careers.
“I should mention too, that they also left out Sam Lloyd,” Braff tweeted. “I would have never even considered ‘campaigning’ for Sam because he had more TV credits than most actors I know.”
