By Courtney Potter
As a practically perfect “kiss goodnight” to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, thousands of fans filled the massive Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Sunday evening, August 11, for the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony—sharing in countless magical moments as 14 incredible talents were honored for their significant contributions to the Disney legacy.
The Disney Legends program is a treasured tradition of The Walt Disney Company, and began with inaugural inductee Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire) in 1987. Now a D23 tradition, the awards ceremony is a celebration of truly epic proportions—and it all kicked off, in the largest space the ceremony has ever been held in, with host Ryan Seacrest welcoming the colossal crowd.
“Tonight, we’re continuing the time-honored tradition of celebrating the innovators and icons who make the Disney dream a reality; the people behind the magic who inspire our sense of wonder for creativity, storytelling, and entertainment,” Seacrest said. “This marks the 37th year we have given this award to the artisans who have left an indelible mark on the Disney company, and I’m super excited to be here—not just as your host, but as a member of the Disney family, and most importantly, as a fan, just like all of you.”
Like past Disney Legends events, those attending were in some extraordinary live performances, emotional video packages, appearances from the Legends themselves, and a few extra-special surprises. And new this year: The Legends Ceremony will be streamed exclusively on Disney+ beginning Monday, August 12, at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET.
The evening kicked off with Seacrest welcoming Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company, to the stage. “The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor our company bestows,” Iger explained. “It’s presented as a celebration of talent; a recognition of achievement; and, above all, a sincere expression of our deep gratitude. Disney Legends are bound by the special place they have earned in our history for their tremendous contributions in service of entertaining and delighting fans around the globe. The Legends Award was originally established in 1987, and we have honored 304 Disney Legends to date.”
He continued, “Our Disney Legends come from all walks of life, virtually every creative discipline. They’re bound by a special place they have earned in our history with their tremendous contributions in service of entertaining and delighting fans around the globe.”
Iger remained on stage to introduce the evening’s first inductee: Harrison Ford. “He has portrayed some of the most timeless heroes that have ever appeared on the big screen... For those of us who have gotten to know Harrison and had the pleasure of working here with him, you quickly learn that the that the charisma you see on the screen is real. And that’s just who he is. He’s a man of deep integrity.”
A visibly emotional Ford, taking in the immense Honda Center crowd, spoke of his appreciation of this recognition. “I love the life you’ve given me,” he told the fans. “And I love the people that I’ve had the opportunity to work with. Nobody does anything in this business alone; we work in collaboration, no matter who we are or what we’re doing.” To that end, he thanked Iger specifically: “Disney produces a great product. It’s a giant ship, but a giant ship needs an able captain. And the great generosity of that introduction deserves my [acknowledgement] of how important Bob has been in the work that I’ve done in a creative and business capacity, but he’s also as a dear and treasured friend.”
Next up, Lindsay Lohan—a part of the Disney family herself, having costarred in 1998’s The Parent Trap and 2003’s Freaky Friday, as well as that film’s upcoming sequel Freakier Friday—began the introduction for the next inductee: Jamie Lee Curtis. “The magic of Jamie Lee Curtis is that she is timeless,” Lohan explained. “Every character she plays is different, and she always brings something unique to the role. And I feel so blessed to have Jamie as a friend in my life, and I feel lucky to work with a woman that I admire.” Lohan then surprised the crowd by bringing out one of Curtis’ very best friends to continue the celebration—actor/director Jodie Foster!
“She’s so thoughtful and so generous, and such a supportive and kind cheerleader, that it just makes me want to punch her in the face,” admitted Foster, eliciting laughter. “Is that wrong?” On a more serious note, she added, “She is inventive, fearless, full of surprises. She’s an artist who loves to show you human idiosyncrasy: warts and all. Perfectly imperfect. Our ‘Neverland Hall of Famer.’”
Foster continued, “You have been such a good friend and a treasured cohort, so bless you for bringing your blessings to this art form and this world—this ‘happiest place on Earth.’”
In accepting her award, Curtis explained, “That’s why we’re here. It’s the Disney in all of us... The truth is, legends aren’t born. They’re created, and they’re created and nurtured and taught and educated, and then they make art. And then we connect the art. And you make legends,” she emphasized to the audience. “You are the legends—because without you, none of this is possible. So thank you, Disney family—all of you out there.” Curtis then led the crowd in a rousing rendition of the Sherman brothers’ “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” the lyrics of which—she explained—resonate with her to this day.
Seacrest returned and started to introduce the one Disney Legend who happens to be his best friend: Kelly Ripa. “There is no better storyteller than Kelly,” said Seacrest. “She has lightning-fast wit and brilliant comedic timing. Whether it be lighting up a fake cigarette as I rambled on a story… or casually protesting my enthusiasm about eating dinner at 4:51 p.m…. or simply taking any moment at any time and turning it into an adventure that always ends in a laugh—she is the best at what she does.”
Taking the stage, Ripa said, “It’s a very rare thing in this industry to be employed consistently, but to be employed by the same company for 34 years is my great good fortune. I owe everything—not only my career, but my entire immediate family [to Disney]; I met my smoking hot husband [Mark Consuelos] on All My Children 30 years ago—and from there we made our own three children... right backstage in the Disney labs,” she added, bringing laughs from the audience. After an emotional story about her first trip to Walt Disney World Resort as a child, Ripa added, “Getting to bring our parents back to Walt Disney World with their grandchildren has been the privilege of my lifetime—and being named a Disney Legend is just the pixie dust on top of a sundae.”
Dancing with the Stars favorite Derek Hough then took the stage to fete the next Legend inductee: Martha Blanding. “I couldn’t be more excited to salute Martha for her years of service and contributions to the fabric of the culture here at Disney,” Hough explained. “She’s a part of the foundation that makes Disneyland ‘The Happiest Place on Earth.’” After a delightful performance by the Dapper Dans and the Disneyland Band, accompanied by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Blanding—not just a Legend, but a 50-year Disneyland employee and a pioneer in her own right—was welcomed with particularly enthusiastic applause from the gathered crowd.
Blanding went back to the beginning to help explain her gratitude: “My last semester of high school, just before graduation, the high school counselor met with every student and their parent to talk to them about their college future,” she said. “It was my turn for my mother and I to talk to the counselor. In the meeting, he told me that I needed to learn how to do something with my hands—because I would ‘never make it in corporate America.’ This was quite upsetting to both of my mother and I; when we left this office, I cried, and when I got home, I went to my room and I cried again. But my mother came to talk to me. She told me never to let other people determine your future. I wish my parents were here today to see what I’ve become, because they would be so proud of this moment.”
Appearing on-screen to celebrate the next inductee, James L. Brooks, was a fan-favorite family from the longest-running animated series in history: The Simpsons! Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie welcomed the crowd to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in the hilariously irreverent style fans have come to know and love, before honoring Brooks—who’s been an executive producer on the series since it began as a series of shorts during The Tracey Ullman Show.
But there wasn’t just an animated preface; next onto the stage was Danny DeVito, who costarred in Brooks’ comedy series Taxi. “Jim Brooks is a genius,” DeVito said. “He creates moments that are so funny and so sad and so eloquent... but everyone loves The Simpsons, especially their predictions. I got a prediction for you: There will never be another writer, director, producer, like my dear friend, James L. Brooks.”
As Brooks admitted, “I’m here because I have a great deal of gratitude when it comes to Disney, by introducing us to a whole new audience. The Simpsons on Disney+ has been a godsend... or more accurately, a ‘Bob’-send,” referencing Iger, to the delight of the audience. “But above all that, I’m so deeply and emotionally indebted to them... I’m grateful for it all.”
Oscar®-nominated director Rob Marshall was next up, to introduce his good friend and Legend inductee Colleen Atwood. “Tonight, Colleen is making history by becoming the first costume designer ever to be honored as a Disney Legend,” Marshall said. “She’s been nominated for a staggering 12 Oscars, and won four... The thing about Colleen is that she’s much more than a designer; she’s a storyteller. In fact, I believe she’s more interested in the internal life of a character and their function in the story than the external look—by itself—that she creates. She deeply wants to understand characters’ wants and needs and motivations and, above all, how they move.”
In accepting her award, Atwood thanked the company for providing her so many incredible opportunities. “With Disney, the tradition of creative support is unsurpassed,” she explained. “The knowledge of collaborators serves to enrich and expand design in today’s marriage of technology and reality. The dedication to inform and educate continues to bring joy to people of all ages... And my continuing wish is to bring magic, hope, and joy to this beautiful world with what I do. For this, I thank you all.”
Seacrest returned to introduce Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer, Pixar Animation Studios, who was on hand to celebrate Frank Oz—his friend and mentor, and the next inductee. “It was Frank’s work with The Muppets that got me inspired to get into the business,” Docter admitted. “Each one of Frank’s characters immediately stick with you as though you’ve known forever—and then they deepen with surprising layers and vulnerabilities. Frank has truly created some of the very best characters in the history of entertainment, and all of that as a performer. Frank claims that was not even a career he wanted! His credits as a director are equally enviable... what I would say is most impactful to me about Frank’s work is his ability to find truth.”
In accepting his award, Oz reminisced about his childhood. “The first time I was ever in Disneyland was a late 1950s,” he remembered. “My parents were Holocaust survivors—and after the terrible time in Europe, they waited for five years to get a visa. And when we immigrated to United States, we ended up in California. I’m so amazed to think that my brother and I played in bombed-out buildings in Belgium, and then about 10 years later we played on Tom Sawyer Island. So it’s very meaningful me to be in Disneyland.”
He continued, “It’s taken me a long time to allow myself to be who I am, and I don’t want you all to wait ’til you’re 80 years old. I want to give you a jump start: Don’t hide who you are.”
The Honda Center crowd then “rocked out the show” as Grammy®-winning country music star Lainey Wilson and band lit up the stage with a rendition of “Best of Both Worlds” from Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana... honoring, of course, inductee Miley Cyrus!
After being called up on-stage by Wilson, an emotional Cyrus spoke of being grateful for her years at The Walt Disney Company. “It’s such an honor to receive this award,” she said. “The other Legends have said it best—it is all because of you. Everyone in this room, outside of this room, it’s all about the fans... A little bit of everything has changed since [Hannah Montana], but at the same time, nothing has changed at all. I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana. In so many ways, this award is dedicated to Hannah, and to all of her amazing loyal fans—and to everyone who has made my dream a reality. To quote the legend herself, ‘This is the life.’”
Seacrest then welcomed Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, on-stage to honor inductee Steve Ditko. “Steve was an incredible artist and creator, and one of the original architects of the Marvel Universe,” Feige explained. “So much of the visual inspiration that you see in our movies comes right from the pages of those early comics that Steve drew. His style as an artist was instantly recognizable, unique, and groundbreaking, and his design for Spider-Man gave us what was probably the most beloved and iconic character of all time.”
Unfortunately, Ditko passed away in 2018, but his nephew Mark was on hand to accept the award on his family’s behalf. “To us, Steve Ditko was a son, a brother, an uncle,” he said. “And to some, he was just a friend. Our uncle Steve did not see himself as a public figure to be admired, nor did he consider awards such as this something to strive for. For him, it was all about the work. It was about doing the best that he can do. His life was a personal journey driven by his own goals and ambitions, not affected by the interests of others around him.”
Next, to celebrate inductee Mark Henn—the animator behind so many favorite Disney characters—a veritable gaggle of Disney Princesses, themselves Disney Legends, took to the stage: Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid; Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast; Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana in The Princess and the Frog; Linda Larkin, the voice of Jasmine in Aladdin; and Ming-Na Wen, the voice of Mulan in Mulan. Henn was the supervising animator for all five of these characters! “He doesn’t just design characters on paper,” said Benson. “He creates images infused with passion, vulnerability, and authenticity that connect with people for generations.” Added Rose, “He so beautifully rendered Tiana in a way that allow girls to see themselves and others to see their friends, and be the light for the very first time. A piece of me will always live through her, not just because of my voice, but because Mark made her left-handed, just like me.”
She continued, “His capacity to continually dig a little deeper, to create larger-than-life characters, and the way that he listens and sees us is what makes him a distinguished animator and an extraordinary human being.”
“As I think back on a career that’s spanned over four decades, this award represents the tip of an iceberg,” said Henn. “In every artist’s career, there are so many artists who inspire and influence you... To all the enormously talented artists past and present at Walt Disney Animation Studios that I have learned from over the years—you are all a part of this moment.”
To introduce inductee Joe Rohde, Seacrest revealed a very special video message from legendary conservationist Jane Goodall. “I can think of no one more deserving of this honor than you,” Goodall asserted. “[Over the years], my admiration for your work and your imagination has continued to increase. I’m so proud to be counted as one of your friends—and so delighted that in recognition of your talent and accomplishments, you are now a Disney Legend. But most of all, on this special occasion, I want to speak for the hundreds of animals who, thanks to your vision, have had and continue to have a meaningful life [at Disney’s Animal Kingdom].”
Following a mesmerizing performance by a troupe of African musicians, Rohde took to the stage to offer his profound appreciation for the award. “We do what we do, the way we do it, because we love doing it,” said Rohde. “We would make art. We would sing; we would act; compose music; we would organize, make movies, write, draw, design—in our garage. We would do it anyway because it is who we are. It’s how we live! It’s how we know that we are alive! So it’s an extraordinary extra delight to be recognized, to be rewarded, to be seen.”
While she couldn’t be with the assembled crowd live and in person, Titanic star Kate Winslet sent a video message honoring her friend and collaborator and the next of the night’s inductees: James Cameron. “Aside from being the most prolific director I’ve ever worked with, you are passionate and extraordinary,” Winslet admitted. “You are also one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met. You’ve made some of the most critically acclaimed and culturally beloved films in, certainly, my lifetime. And it’s mind-blowing to think of how many other movie lovers’ lifetimes you have impacted and entertained.”
But that’s not all: The star of Cameron’s Avatar franchise, Zoë Saldaña, took to the stage to continue the celebration. Said Saldaña, “Working with you has been a wild ride, Jim. Your passion, your dedication, and your eye for detail are truly unmatched. But beyond all that, I thank you for making me laugh, for making me cry, for making me blue, and for keeping things light on set. But most of all, thank you for always pushing everyone around you to be their best.”
“There’s one person that stands out in my mind right now,” explained Cameron, “as I’m standing up here, and that’s my producing partner of 30 years, Jon Landau. He would’ve loved this moment. He’s standing here with me right now. He left our world four weeks ago. All of us in the Avatar family miss him dearly, we’ll continue to miss him—and we make it our goal now to carry on his legacy. He’s an unsung Disney ‘legend’ himself. He and I climbed mountains together. We made Titanic together; we made Avatar together, made The Way of Water together, and the vast majority of Avatar: Fire And Ash... we’ll carry on his dream. And I just want to thank all of you for honoring, essentially, what you’re honoring tonight—which is imagination.”
Seacrest then welcomed Black Panther director Ryan Coogler to the stage to honor the next inductee: Angela Bassett. “The first time I ever went to the movies was in 1991,” Coogler explained. “I wish I could say tell you guys it was to see Beauty and the Beast—that was actually the second movie I ever saw. The first I ever saw was Boyz in the Hood [featuring Bassett]. I was five years old, and it was deeply traumatic,” he admitted, gaining laughs from the audience. “But I remember being enthralled by Angela’s performance, which really felt like I was watching my mom or my aunts or these women in my life that I knew. It made the film feel real.”
With an entrance befitting a queen, featuring the powerful Dora Milaje from the Black Panther films, Bassett gratefully accepted the award. “I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of working, throughout my career, throughout the Disney Universe—including film and television; documentaries and animation, as well as the ‘wonderlands’ that are the Disney theme parks. But I have done none of this alone. From day one, in my pursuit of a career as an actress, I have understood that I’m a part of something greater than myself. I offer my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey... and to the fans: You are the magic. There are not enough words to let you know how much I appreciate you, how much I love you.”
Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, was joined by tonight’s first honoree, Harrison Ford, to fete the final inductee of the night: John Williams. “I’ve had the incredible privilege of knowing and working with John throughout my entire career,” Kennedy explained. “His film scores have connected all of us across generations... It’s no exaggeration to say that John Williams is the greatest film composer of all time.” Added Ford, “Every time John Williams composes a new score, he finds a way to imbue the film’s story and characters with a timeless and essential quality. That’s because John is a storyteller—and his language is exquisite music that touches our hearts and inspires our dreams... John has written the soundtrack of our lives.”
While the crowd was sad to hear that Williams couldn’t make tonight’s ceremony to accept his award, they were thrilled to learn that he had created a specially arranged piece—featuring themes from so many of his iconic scores—to be played on-stage by the Pacific Symphony, under the baton of conductor Carl St. Clair.
As the ceremony started to come to a close, Seacrest welcomed all of tonight’s inductees on-stage to take the ultimate “class photo.” As the host explained, “This truly has been a wonderful night that only Disney could make possible—and of course, we’re here because of you, the fans; the spirit makes us shine. These Legends have all made their mark not just on the Disney legacy, but on each and every one of us. We are so grateful to live in a world where dreams become a reality, thanks to icons like this.”
