ANAHEIM, Calif. – Disney will award Legends status to 14 artists, including Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett and Miley Cyrus, who have left their mark on the company.
The honorees, who the company said had a “significant impact” on Disney’s legacy, include director James Cameron, legendary film composer John Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Ripa.
This year’s class of Disney Legends will be inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony Sunday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., as part of the D23 fan convention. Ryan Seacrest will emcee the evening.
Director James L. Brooks is also joining the club of stars, alongside Williams, who is known for the film music for the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” series, among others.
The star of this franchise, Ford, will have his signature and handprints reinstated more than 20 years after his induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The revered actor will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World.
At Comic-Con International, Ford surprised the packed house at a panel discussion about new Marvel projects, flexing his muscles in front of the roaring crowd by impersonating his character as he transforms into the Red Hulk.
His MCU colleague Bassett, who appeared in “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” will also be honored. Bassett also stars in ABC’s “9-1-1.”
Cyrus, who rose to fame in 2006 for her role on the Disney Channel show “Hannah Montana,” is the youngest recipient of the Legends award. Following her time on the sitcom, Cyrus has had a long career in music and won her first Grammy Award in February.
Curtis has appeared in numerous projects under the Walt Disney Studios banner, from “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” to “You Again,” and she will reprise her role in the upcoming sequel to the fan-favorite film “Freaky Friday,” opposite Lindsey Lohan.
ABC talk show host and leading lady Ripa will reunite with her former co-host Seacrest. Her career at the network spans 30 years and she currently hosts “Live with Kelly and Mark” with her husband Mark Consuelos.
Disney also honors six behind-the-scenes creative minds who have contributed to groundbreaking films, artwork and Disney experiences.
The honorees include Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood, renowned animator Mark Henn, the late comic book artist Steve Ditko, known for characters such as Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, renowned puppeteer and filmmaker Frank Oz, Martha Blanding, longtime executive at The Walt Disney Company and Disneyland, and Joe Rohde, a former Disney Imagineer.
Past Disney Legends include Elton John, Steve Jobs, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Downey Jr. and Whoopi Goldberg, among more than 300 honorees since the program’s inception in 1987.
