Kenny Ortega first began designing dances on the small screen, choreographing music videos for Olivia Newton-John and Madonna and quickly moved on to bigger productions. In 1980, he choreographed the dance sequences for the musical film Xanadu, working with legendary dancer and director Gene Kelly. He continued choreographing such hits as St. Elmo’s…
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By The D23 Team
Disney Legend Jim Cora, who joined Disneyland Park as an attractions host in 1957 and retired as chairman of Disney International 43 years later, passed away Sunday after a brief hospitalization. He was 83.
“Very few people have a Disney legacy that reaches as far and wide as Jim Cora,” said Disney Parks chairman and former Disneyland resort…
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Anika Noni Rose fulfilled a lifelong ambition with her Disney debut. “I always dreamed of being a voice in a Disney movie, but even in those dreams, I never once dreamed of being a princess,” she once said. “I just wanted to be a voice. I feel like what an honor that this is how the dream comes true, bigger and stronger than I had even imagined it.”
Born on…
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In 1990, Robin Roberts joined ESPN—the first female African American sports journalist for the network—and within five years was also a regular contributor to Good Morning America (GMA). In her 15 years at ESPN, she contributed to NFL PrimeTime, and hosted SportsCenter and In the Game with Robin Roberts.
In 2005, Robin joined GMA full time as co-anchor….
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Disney Legend Charles Boyer, who accepted a “temporary” job at Disneyland as a portrait sketch artist in fall 1960 and remained there for 39 years, passed away on February 8, 2021 in Ontario, California. He is survived by two children, Bruce and Naomi. His wife, Ellen, preceded him in death.
Boyer had the unique distinction of having been Disneyland’s first…
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With nearly 200 credits in film and television, and countless more on the Broadway stage, it’s hard to imagine a more recognizable voice than the rich and commanding basso profundo tones of James Earl Jones.
In 1977, as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope, Jones helped create perhaps the most indelible screen villain in decades, a role which he has…
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From the 1950s to today, Floyd Norman’s diverse career, insightful viewpoint, and unflinching honesty have truly made him a Disney Legend.
Floyd worked as an inbetweener and animator on Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and as a story artist on The Jungle Book, along with various animated short projects at the Disney studio in the late 1950s and early…
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As an award-winning actress, producer, and talk-show host, Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most prolific entertainers currently working in the industry. She appeared in a string of film roles for 20th Century Fox and Disney in the ’80s and ’90s, such as Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Sarafina!, The Associate, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and as Deloris in Touchstone…
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By the D23 Team
Ron Dominguez, a Disney Legend and former executive vice president of Walt Disney Attractions, passed away early today, January 1, 2021. He was 85. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Betty, and three children from a previous marriage, Sheryl Ralston, Steve Dominguez, and Ronald K. Dominguez Jr, four grandchildren Joby Ralston, Tim Ralston,…
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By Beth Deitchman
We are sorry to report that Disney Legend Marge Champion, a gifted actress and dancer who was the live-action reference model for several of the most beloved characters of Walt Disney’s golden age of animation, most notably the iconic heroine of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, has passed away. She was 101.
In addition to Snow White,…
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