Disney has awarded “legend” status to 14 artists, including Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett and Miley Cyrus, who have shaped the company.
The honorees, who the company said have had a “significant impact” on Disney’s legacy, include director James Cameron, iconic film composer John Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Ripa, among several others.
This year’s class of Disney Legends was inducted into the company’s version of the Hall of Fame at a ceremony held Sunday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as part of the D23 fan convention. Ryan Seacrest hosted the show, which will be available to stream Monday on Disney+.
Ford, who was the first to receive the award, called himself an “assistant storyteller” and highlighted the many contributions his collaborators made to his career. He was moved to thank Disney CEO Bob Iger, who presented him with the award, for his professional guidance and friendship.
The “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” actor will have his signature and handprints again more than 20 years after being inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The revered actor will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming film “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Cyrus was emotional as she accepted the award after country singer Lainey Wilson warmed up the crowd with a stirring rendition of “The Best of Both Worlds” from Cyrus’ hit show, “Hannah Montana.” “Legends get scared too. I’m scared right now, but the difference is we do it anyway. Y’all can do it every day. It’s legendary to be scared and do it anyway,” Cyrus said. “There’s no such thing as failure when you try.”
The “Flowers” singer, who rose to fame after starring in “Hannah Montana” in 2006, is the youngest recipient of the Legends award. Following her role in the sitcom, Cyrus has had a long career in music and won her first Grammy in February.
Bassett, who appeared in “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” met with the film’s director, Ryan Coogler, who presented her with the honor. Bassett also stars in ABC’s “9-1-1.”
“To the fans, you are the magic,” Bassett said. “There aren’t enough words to tell you how much I appreciate you, how much I love you. I’m here today because you bought the tickets, watched the TV shows, cheered me on during my best days and lifted my spirits during my toughest.”
Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster joined forces to present Curtis with her award. Foster called her “best friend” “inventive, fearless and full of surprises” before presenting Curtis with a pair of vintage Mickey Mouse ears.
“Legends aren’t born, they’re created,” Curtis said. “They’re created, they’re nurtured, they’re taught, they’re educated, and then they create art and then we connect.”
Curtis has appeared in several projects under The Walt Disney Studios banner, from “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” to “You Again.” She is set to reprise her role in the upcoming sequel to the fan-favorite film “Freaky Friday,” alongside Lohan. Curtis and Lohan surprised fans at Friday’s D23 presentation and shared a first look at “Freakier Friday.”
Ford returned to the stage to pay tribute to Williams, creator of the iconic soundtracks for Ford’s films “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars,” as well as “Jurassic Park” and “Jaws,” among others. Williams has created the “soundtrack of our lives,” Ford said.
The Pacific Symphony performed a medley of music that Williams, who was not present, composed especially for the occasion.
Kate Winslet and Zoe Saldana, stars of “Titanic” and “Avatar,” respectively, joined together to celebrate James Cameron.
“It’s a dream come true,” Cameron said of being in a group with his fellow honorees. “There’s an incredible display of creativity and imagination here tonight and I’m just happy to be in this crowd, to be a part of this club and a part of the Disney family tonight.”
ABC talk show host and headliner Ripa reunited with her former co-host Seacrest when he introduced her to accept her honor. Her career with the television network spans more than 30 years and she now hosts “Live with Kelly and Mark” with her husband, Mark Consuelos.
“It’s a very rare thing, anyone can say in this industry, to be consistently employed in this industry, but to have worked for the same company for 34 years is a great blessing for me,” Ripa said. “I owe it all to Disney.”
Danny DeVito, one of director James L. Brooks’ longtime collaborators and friends, presented the award to the creator of “The Simpsons” and “Mary Tyler Moore Show,” calling him a “genius.”
“There will never be another writer, director and producer like my dear friend,” DeVito said.
Disney also honored six behind-the-scenes creatives who have contributed to groundbreaking Disney films, art and experiences.
Honorees include Colleen Atwood, an Academy Award-winning costume designer; Mark Henn, a noted animator known for his work animating several Disney princesses; Steve Ditko, the late comic book artist known for characters such as Spider-Man and Doctor Strange; Frank Oz, a noted “Muppet” character puppeteer and filmmaker; Martha Blanding, a longtime manager at The Walt Disney Company and Disneyland; and Joe Rohde, a former Disney Imagineer.
Previous Disney legends include Elton John, Steve Jobs, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Downey Jr. and Whoopi Goldberg. They are among more than 300 honorees since the show’s inception in 1987.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.