Why Did Beyoncé, Maggie Smith & Ben Mendelsohn Miss the 2016 Emmys?

It's an honor to be nominated...but that doesn't necessarily mean you show up!

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 19, 2016 3:27 PMTags

It's an honor to be nominated...but that doesn't necessarily mean you show up!

The stars came out in full force for the 2016 Emmys, but there were a few notable nominees (and winners!) who were notably MIA at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater. Downton Abbey's Maggie Smith was among the no-shows, but this wasn't a huge surprise given her award show attendance history.

The 83-year-old actress has won a total of four Emmys and been nominated for nine, but she's yet to attend an actual ceremony. When Smith wasn't present last night for her Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series win, Emmys host Jimmy Kimmel crashed the stage in faux protest.

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Emmy Awards 2016 Winners: The Complete List
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"No, no, no, no, no," he said. "We're not mailing this to her. Maggie, if you want this, it'll be in the lost and found."

Kimmel went on to joke he was instituting a new rule in the actress's honor, saying, "You must be present to win. If we call your name and you're not here to accept, the Emmy goes to the next name on the list. It's called the Maggie Smith rule."

Masterpiece CBS later made light of Kimmel's comments with an acceptance tweet from Smith:

There have only been a handful of instances in the past five years when the acting category winners have not been present to accept to accept their awards: Smith in 2011, 2012 and 2016, as well as Benedict Cumberbatch, who won the Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy in 2014 for his role on Sherlock, and Bloodline's Ben Mendelsohn last night, who nabbed the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama.

Like "Downton absent" star Smith, Mendelsohn was not in attendance Sunday to collect his Emmy. After announcing the win, though, Empire's Taraji P. Henson accepted on his behalf. "I'll have it at for home when you get back, Ben," she said. "Thanks!"

Mendelsohn was filming a Steven Spielberg movie in London and unable to attend the Emmys. He did, however, release a statement to E! News, saying, "I am deeply grateful to be awarded the Emmy,. Bloodline has been a defining high point in my 30 plus year career and Danny one of the most completely realized characters I've had the honour of playing. All praise to Kessler Kessler and Zelman, the unparalleled cast and tireless expertise and esprit de corps of the crew."

He continued: "I'd have loved to and was planning and dressed to be there but...Hey. This is better. I've had two great things happen today... I won an Emmy and I'm shooting Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One in London. Thank you very much life."

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Emmys 2016: Instagrams & Twitpics
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Mendelsohn's father told 774 ABC Melbourne the actor was "delighted" by his win, adding, "I thought last year he was a serious candidate, but I think he and the rest of us thought that the game was so stacked this year that he may not make it, so it was a double thrill."

It would've also been a real thrill if Beyoncé, who was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special category for directing Lemonade, had attended. Beyoncé ultimately lost the Emmy to Grease: Live's Thomas Kail and Alex Rudzinski, but a source told E! News' Marc Malkin she had planned to attend but ended up calling in sick.

"She wanted to be there," said a source. "But at the last minute, decided it was better if she stayed home because she really was feeling that bad."

(Originally published Sept. 19, 2016, at 8:27 a.m. PT)

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