Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett, Miley Cyrus, and Others Are Honored As Disney Legends At A Ceremony.
Anaheim, California– Disney named 14 artists, including Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett, and Miley Cyrus, “legends” for their contributions to the corporation.
The honorees, who the business claims have had a “significant impact” on Disney’s heritage, include filmmaker James Cameron, legendary film composer John Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kelly Ripa, among others.
This year’s Disney Legends were admitted into the company’s version of the Hall of Fame on Sunday at The Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as part of the D23 Fan Convention. The show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will be available to view on Disney+ on Monday.
Ford, who was the first to accept the honor, described himself as an “assistant storyteller,” citing the numerous efforts of his partners to his success. He became emotional as he expressed his gratitude to Disney CEO Bob Iger, who presented him with the honor, for his professional mentoring and friendship.
More than 20 years after being inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the actor from “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” will have his signature and handprints redone. The famous actor will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the next film, “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Cyrus became upset while accepting the prize after country singer Lainey Wilson warmed up the audience with a stirring rendition of “The Best of Both Worlds” from Cyrus’ breakout show, “Hannah Montana.” “Even legends get terrified. I am afraid right now, but the difference is that we do it regardless. You can do it every day. “It’s legendary to be afraid and do it anyway,” Cyrus explained. “There’s no such thing as failure when you try.”
The “Flowers” singer, who rose to prominence after playing the titular popstar in “Hannah Montana” in 2006, is the youngest Legends honoree. Following her tenure on the sitcom, Cyrus pursued a long career in music, collecting her first Grammy Award in February.
Bassett, who starred in “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” reconnected with the film’s director, Ryan Coogler, who presented her with the award. Bassett also appears in ABC’s “9-1-1.”
“To the fans, you are the magic,” Bassett added. “There aren’t enough words to express how much I appreciate and adore you. I’m standing here now because you bought the tickets, watched the TV shows, encouraged me on my best days, and picked me up on my worst.”
Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster teamed up to present Curtis with her award. Foster described her “bestie” as “inventive, fearless, and full of surprises” before bestowing traditional Mickey Mouse ears on Curtis.
“Legends are not born; they are created,” Curtis explained. “They’re created and nurtured and taught and educated, and then they make art, and then we connect.”
Curtis has appeared in a number of Walt Disney Studios projects, including “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and “You Again.” She is poised to reprise her part in the upcoming sequel to the fan favorite film “Freaky Friday” with Lindsay Lohan. Curtis and Lohan stunned fans at Friday’s D23 event by revealing a first look at “Freakier Friday.”
Colleen Atwood, an Oscar-winning costume designer; Mark Henn, a prominent animator known for his work animating several Disney princesses; Steve Ditko, the late comics artist known for characters such as Spider-Man and Doctor Strange; Frank Oz, a noted puppeteer of “Muppets” characters and a filmmaker; Martha Blanding, a longtime manager at The Walt Disney Company and Disneyland; and Joe Rohde, a former Disney Imagineer, are among those honored.
Previous Disney legends have included Elton John, Steve Jobs, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Downey Jr., and Whoopi Goldberg. They are among the more than 300 recipients since the program’s establishment in 1987.
