The actress was set to appear alongside Dylan McDermott during Monday’s awards show ceremony.
The 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was a celebration of television and all its biggest moments. To commemorate the milestone anniversary, the show organized a number of surprising and unique cast reunions — including one honoring the legacy of American Horror Story.
Dylan McDermott was originally set to share a mini-reunion with AHS: Murder House co-star Connie Britton during Monday’s show, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
However, fans of the horror series were surprised and somewhat disappointed when Britton’s appearance didn’t come together, and McDermott was left solo on stage.
As it turns out, inclement weather was to blame for the plans falling apart. Britton’s rep confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the actress was forced to fly back to New York early, as she’s scheduled to shoot her new TV miniseries Zero Day, and had to beat an impending snow storm bearing down on the East Coast.
McDermott — backed by a moody, gothic recreation of the first season’s titular haunted estate, and surrounded by on-stage fog — held down the fort, honoring the show’s creators Ryan Murphy and Bryan Falchuk, and the impact their hit series has had on the TV landscape.
He was also tasked with presenting the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — which ended up going to Beef star Steven Yeun — and he got some help from host Anthony Anderson in a black, skin-tight bodysuit, portraying the nightmarish AHS antagonist, the Rubber Man.
The AHS: Murder House tribute was among a number of special reunions and tributes that took place throughout the night, including special cast reunions of Martin, Cheers, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Sopranos, Ally McBeal and numerous others.
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, originally set to take place last September, was postponed due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Hosted by Anthony Anderson at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the ceremony aired live Monday, Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. PT, 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and will be streamed Tuesday, Jan. 16 on Hulu. Keep checking ETonline.com for complete Emmys coverage and for the full winners’ list.