{"id":345791,"date":"2026-09-13T20:24:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T20:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/345791\/"},"modified":"2026-09-13T20:24:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T20:24:08","slug":"new-york-knicks-jalen-brunson-expected-to-open-mariska-hargitay-emmys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/345791\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Expected to Open Mariska Hargitay Emmys"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAs Monday\u2019s 78th Emmys<\/a> ceremony fast approaches, Variety has learned of two new highlights that viewers should expect to see: New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson<\/a> is expected to appear via a pre-tape at the start of the telecast, while Reba McEntire has been tapped to perform a Dolly Parton song in tribute to the late icon.<\/p>\n

\n\tThey join previously announced special segments<\/a> including a \u201cCharlie\u2019s Angels\u201d 50th anniversary reunion with stars Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd and Kate Jackson, as well as a \u201cBuffy, the Vampire Slayer\u201d 30th anniversary tribute with stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz. Also lined up: <\/a>Noah Kahan performing \u201cBridge Over Troubled Water\u201d to accompany this year\u2019s In Memoriam segment, while Julianna Margulies is expected to present the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to Michael J. Fox.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith New York Knicks superfan Mariska Hargitay<\/a> as host, there\u2019s been plenty of speculation about how the team might make an appearance during the Emmys \u2014 especially regarding pal Brunson. Hargitay herself has hinted in interviews that she hoped the Knicks would have a presence on the Emmys. She also recently told\u00a0Variety\u00a0at the HBO Max Emmy Nominee Celebration that Brunson\u00a0would \u201cdefinitely\u201d be getting a role<\/a> in \u201cLaw and Order: Special Victims Unit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s definitely happening,\u201d Hargitay said of an \u201cSVU\u201d guest spot. \u201cHe\u2019s kind of magnificent that way. He is just open and ready. I don\u2019t think there is much Jalen can\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen asked at last Thursday\u2019s Emmys media day about whether Brunson would show up, executive producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay were coy: \u201cShe\u2019s got a lot of friends,\u201d Collins said. \u201cHer contacts are deep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFrom what Variety has heard, Brunson will appear at the very start of the show as part of a pre-taped number. Hargitay will then continue that performance live on stage, with dancers and other performers. That will then lead to Hargitay\u2019s opening host monologue.<\/p>\n

\n\tLater in the evening, McEntire\u2019s Parton tribute performance is expected to be introduced by Sally Field, who starred with Parton in 1989\u2019s \u201cSteel Magnolias.\u201d Field will also be on hand as an Emmy nominee on Monday night, in the lead actress in a limited\/anthology series or movie category for Netflix\u2019s \u201cRemarkably Bright Creatures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMcEntire and Parton, of course, were close friends for decades; among their music collabs was 2021\u2019s \u201cDoes He Love You,\u201d a reworking of a McEntire hit. McEntire is star of NBC\u2019s \u201cHappy\u2019s Place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOther presenters previously announced include \u201cDTF St. Louis\u201d stars Linda Cardellini and David Harbour, who won Emmys last weekend for outstanding limited\/anthology actress and actor. Additionally lined up are Odessa A\u2019zion, Macaulay Culkin, Alan Cumming, Sally Field, Jon Hamm, Marcello Hern\u00e1ndez, Peter Krause, Dan Levy, Julianna Margulies, Annie Murphy, Niecy Nash-Betts, Keke Palmer, Amanda Peet, Amy Poehler, Florence Pugh, Rachel Sennott and Zendaya.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd then announced on Sunday<\/a> as presenters were Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephen Amell, Awkwafina, Noah Beck, Jessica Belkin, Scott Caan, Emma D\u2019Arcy, Julia Garner, LL Cool J, Shailene Woodley, Hassie Harrison, Paul Anthony Kelly, Thaddeus LaGrone, John Mulaney, Brooks Nader, Emmy Rossum and Sof\u00eda Vergara.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tPlus, expect Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson \u2014 stars of the upcoming Apple TV series \u201cBrothers\u201d \u2014 to appear together and one might assume, further milk the speculation that they might actually be related.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Monday\u2019s 78th Emmys ceremony fast approaches, Variety has learned of two new highlights that viewers should expect…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":345792,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[11100,4777,23024,9,11,10],"class_list":["post-345791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-emmys","tag-jalen-brunson","tag-mariska-hargitay","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}