D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will take place August 14, 15, and 16 at the Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center. One of the highlights is the Disney Legends Ceremony. This will wrap the weekend up on Sunday evening.
The newest Disney Legends have been announced! These are all people who have made significant contributions to the Walt Disney Company. Here is the list of 2026 Disney Legends, from the official D23 website.
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Chris Berman
Television
In 1979, a new cable network hired a novice broadcaster, and they both became legendary. The network was ESPN, and the then-24-year-old broadcaster was Chris Berman, now a celebrated and influential figure in the world of sports broadcasting. At the time, this was unprecedented: there had never been anything on television like ESPN before; the people who worked there invented it as they did it.
Chris Berman himself was amazed by the opportunity to do a 30-minute nightly television show that would be seen throughout the United States. “There were so few of us and so much to do,” recalls the sportscaster of those early days. “There was no one telling us what we should be trying to do. We were Lewis and Clark.” ESPN quickly became the place viewers turned to for sports and the latest in sports news. “We certainly were a part of what already was an explosion,” Chris points out. “We were a different kind of igniter. We’re kind of synonymous with the growth of cable. And cable begat the local cable sports. The thirst level just never got quenched.”
As ESPN moved into the 1980s, Chris was part of ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft for the first time, and in 1982, after covering “The Catch” in the NFC Championship game, Berman and producer Tom Reilly edited a five-minute game report that aired on ESPN that evening. It is the first time in ESPN’s history that a feature was edited on site and turned around in time for the 11 p.m. SportsCenter broadcast. From the beginning, he played a significant role in shaping ESPN’s tone. “People made a connection with him,” says Norby Williamson, EVP, production, ESPN. “He, more than anyone who works here, is ESPN. He put ESPN on the map, and over the decades, he became synonymous with who we are.” Tom Jackson, Chris’s colleague on Sunday NFL Countdown, called Berman “the face of ESPN for three decades. The successes that we have had are all tied to [Berman].”
During his time with ESPN, Chris has covered everything from the World Series and the Super Bowl to Monday Night Football and the U.S. Open. He grew with ESPN and became an audience favorite, being selected as National Sportscaster of the Year on several occasions (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 2001). Some of the legend’s other honors include the distinguished Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
“ESPN is truly one of the great success stories company-wise in the history of our country,” stated Chris. He hosted SportsCenter until 1990, working overnight during ESPN’s first four years. He is best known as the network’s lead voice for the NFL for over three decades from mornings through the afternoon and into the night, hosting Sunday NFL Countdown, the critically acclaimed NFL Primetime, and the Fastest 3 Minutes at halftime on Sunday Night and Monday Night Football. Using the alter ego “The Swami,” the anchor started weekly NFL predictions and observations on SportsCenter. He was proud to say that in 2016, the final full season as “The Swami,” he registered his best regular season record ever, finishing 51-32.
One of the ways this colorful sports anchor endeared himself to audiences and players alike was by creating catchy nicknames for players, like Bert “Be Home” Blyleven, Roberto “Remember the” Alomar, Jim “2 Silhouettes on” Deshais and Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff.
Technical Director Chuck Pagano even blessed Chris with a nickname of his own, after he heard the broadcaster’s powerful voice and nicknamed him “Boomer,” shortened by others to just “Boom.” Throughout his career, he has been praised by the media, viewers, and players alike for his lighthearted, humorous approach to sports broadcasting.
In January 2017, following the final Sunday NFL Countdown show Chris hosted in Bristol, Connecticut, ESPN fittingly renamed the NFL studio in its Digital Center 2 production building “The Chris Berman-Tom Jackson Studio” for their long-time pairing on the wildly successful NFL PrimeTime. A plaque displayed outside the studio reads in part: “Their 29-year on-air partnership is a sports television record that has earned them a special place in the hearts and minds of football fans everywhere.”
A much-honored broadcasting pioneer, Chris was named the winner of the prestigious Reds Bagnell Award from the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia in 2001. In 2009, he was honored with the Pat Summerall Award, and in 2017, was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In 2010, Chris received a star—the 2,409th— on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I can only hope that the previous 2,408 have had as much fun getting here as I have,” he said at the ceremony in Hollywood.
Outside of sports, Chris is a music aficionado who has sung with Huey Lewis and the News more than a dozen times, twice with Eddie Money, and appeared in a video with Hootie and the Blowfish. He has also appeared in 16 sports-themed motion pictures, including The Waterboy (1998), The Longest Yard (2005), Draft Day (2014), and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025), and on such television series, as Sesame Street, ABC’s Spin City, and HBO’s Arliss. Chris is also an avid golfer, and his professional partners at Pro-Am events have combined to win 48 major tournaments.
Chris is expected to be a part of ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl coverage in 2027. However, he also celebrated a milestone as the network turned 46 years old in 2025. “He is the best highlights man who ever lived,” fellow broadcaster Tom Jackson reflected. “I know that because I am with him when he does it, and I’ve been with him for almost 25 years watching him do it.” Norby Williamson, EVP, production, ESPN said of Chris: “Fans respond to his authentic love of sports, his ability to savor and capture the big moments, and his on-air style that reminds us how live games can truly be equal parts essential and fun.”
Jerry Bruckheimer
Film
The most successful film and television producer of all time, Academy Award-nominated Jerry Bruckheimer’s credits include the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Top Gun (1986), National Treasure (2004), Bad Boys (1995), and Beverly Hills Cop (1984) franchises, as well as such hits as Black Hawk Down (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), Remember the Titans (2000), Enemy of the State (1998), Armageddon (1998), Con Air (1997), The Rock (1997), Crimson Tide (1995), and Flashdance (1983).
His most recent blockbuster F1, released in June of 2025, grossed over $631 million at the global box office, becoming not only the highest grossing sports movie of all time, but also the biggest movie in the storied career of star Brad Pitt. F1 was helmed by Top Gun: Maverick (2022) director Joseph Kosinski and produced alongside 7-time F1 world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton. F1 has been nominated for a variety of industry awards including Critics Choice, PGA, and Golden Globe honors. The film also received four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and won the Oscar for Best Sound.
In 2024, he had a slate that included 4 new releases. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare teamed the producer with director Guy Ritchie on a true WWII story starring Henry Cavill. Then in early summer Disney released Young Woman and the Sea which reteamed him with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) director Joachim Rønning and starred Daisy Ridley. June saw the release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for the 4th time in the beloved series. The film went on to gross over $400 million at the worldwide box office taking the Bad Boys franchise to over $1 billion in total grosses. And July brought the highly anticipated return of Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) the latest installment in the legendary franchise.
He also recently scored the biggest hit of his career with Top Gun: Maverick (2022) which reunited him with Tom Cruise for a long-awaited sequel to the 1986 original. The film ended its theatrical run with an unbelievable global box office of nearly $1.5 billion including over $700 million domestically, landing at #5 on the all-time list, and received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and won the Oscar for Best Sound.
Jerry Bruckheimer is also one of the most dominant producers on television, with three series currently on the air. Together, Fire Country (#1 new broadcast show 2022), Sheriff Country (spinoff of “Fire Country” and #2 new broadcast show 2025), and Boston Blue (expansion of the beloved Blue Bloods series and #1 new broadcast show 2025) make up CBS’s “Bruckheimer Fridays” programming block. And the ten-time Emmy Award–winning The Amazing Race returns later this year for its 39th season. Beyond broadcast, JBTV produced the record-breaking series Lucifer, which became Netflix’s top original scripted series in 2021 and Hightown, a critical success on both Starz and Netflix.
Jerry Bruckheimer Television has produced some of the most successful television series of the past 25 years, beginning with the global phenomenon CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which quickly became the number one show in the world. CSI spawned five spin-offs: CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, CSI: Cyber, and CSI: Vegas, as well as the recent unscripted The Real CSI: Miami. During the 2005–06 season, Jerry Bruckheimer set a then-record with ten series on network television simultaneously, including an unprecedented five shows ranking in the Top 10 in U.S. ratings including hits Cold Case and Without a Trace.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Bruckheimer’s films have collectively grossed nearly $15 billion at the global box office. He has produced over 2000 hours of television. His productions have been recognized with countless awards including Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, People’s Choice, Critics Choice, and Grammy honors.
Jerry Bruckheimer was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of German immigrant parents. Growing up, Bruckheimer developed a passion for movies, photography, and sports, especially ice hockey. A lifelong dream became a reality in 2019 when businessman David Bonderman and he founded the Seattle Kraken, an NHL expansion franchise based in Seattle, Washington. The Kraken began play in the 2021/2022 NHL season and made the playoffs for the first-time during the 2022/2023 season.
Susan Egan
Voice
For Susan Egan, the first actress to bring a Disney Princess to life on Broadway and the voice of Disney’s iconic Greek heroine-of-sass on screen, it’s been a real slice.
This multitalented performer holds a distinctive place in Disney history: she not only originated the role of Belle in Disney on Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast, earning both Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress, she also lent her voice to the sharp-witted femme fatale, Megara, in Walt Disney Animation Studios’s feature film Hercules (1997). The stage-and-screen star discovered that these unique characters resonated with her. “She doesn’t fit in,” Susan once reflected of Belle. “She’s intelligent, she’s a reader, she’s not a damsel in distress. She doesn’t need anybody to save her life – in fact, she saves herself and everyone else. I love that!” As for her other leading lady, Susan observes, “Meg is definitely sarcastic and a little jaded. She can just look at a guy who’s as innocent as Hercules and push all his buttons. She knows how to make him as uncomfortable as possible and that’s very funny.”
Susan has also headlined on Broadway in Cabaret, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Triumph of Love and State Fair, was a series regular on WB’s Nikki, and guest-starred on Modern Family, NYPD Blue, the Disney+ series Encore, Gotta Kick It Up for the Disney Channel, and more. She voiced leading roles in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and Porco Rosso and spent five seasons as Rose Quartz on Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe. Additionally, her world-class singing has led to her headline in concert with more than 70 symphony orchestras worldwide, including return engagements at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl. She has over 40 recording credits including seven solo albums.
Susan’s journey began in high school at the Orange County School of the Arts and then UCLA, where she was honored with a Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Award. “I’m fortunate that so many communities in Southern California support their local theater,” the actress said. ”It gave me a playground to try things out, to succeed and fail, to really learn my craft before I went to New York. I found that once I went East and started auditioning that I was surprisingly prepared for it.”
Her auditions included Beauty and the Beast, the stage adaptation of the popular 1991 Disney animated feature that opened on Broadway on April 18, 1994. “I almost didn’t go to the audition,” Susan revealed. “I hadn’t seen the film, and I just didn’t think I was right for the role. I’ve never felt ‘beautiful,’ but reading the scenes, I learned that Belle is so relatable – misunderstood and longing to find where she belongs, and that clicked” she recalled. “Later I realized they weren’t interested in having someone copy the movie but rather in finding someone who could capture the spirit of the film in their own way.” Susan finally saw the animated feature the night she was officially cast as Belle, over hundreds of other actresses. “I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I went to [the video store], got some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and sat on my couch with my dog. We began watching, and I thought ‘Oh, my goodness! This is huge.'”
While Susan was still in Beauty and the Beast, Disney began searching for a Broadway-caliber talent to voice the main female role for the next animated feature, Hercules. At first, the studio was reluctant to even audition Susan as they associated her with the kind-hearted Belle, but after showcasing her signature sarcasm and range, they realized she was the perfect fit for the cynical yet soulful Meg. Ken Duncan, the supervising animator of Meg observed: “What’s nice about Meg is that she’s a very strong character with a mind of her own. She’s quick-witted, independent and has a dramatic arc in the film which takes her from being untrusting and hard-edged to being a softer, more open person by the end of the film. Susan Egan was fantastic to work with and her take on the character gave me great ideas as to attitudes, poses and gestures.” Hercules lyricist David Zippel gushed when the film was released, “Susan Egan is an extraordinary actress who really understands her character. She has an edge and yet she’s likable at the same time. Susan really delivered the goods.”
Today, Susan is a prolific executive producer of live global concert events. Through their company, 10th & Main Productions, she and partner Adam J. Levy have worked closely with multiple divisions of the Walt Disney Company, creating and producing: Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Concert and Disney ‘80s-‘90s Celebration in Concert, both at the Hollywood Bowl, and Disney All Stars in Taipei for Disney Concerts; Disney Hits Live for Disney Vacation Club; and the Broadway Stars Series and Heroes & Villains for Disney Cruise Line. As managing partners of Broadway Princess Party LLC, they also co-created and produce Disney Princess – The Concert, which has played 20 countries on 5 continents, since premiering in 2021.
In November 2025, Susan was named the Official Godmother of the Disney Destiny, the Disney Cruise Line ship which features various spaces inspired by her legendary roles, including the beautifully themed Café Megara.
Susan looks at her Disney achievements as dreams-come-true, “I dreamed of Broadway, as many do, and Disney gifted me that. I had no idea at the time that the gift would prove to be open-ended – the company has allowed me to redefine myself multiple times and given me platforms to expand my reach and to participate in the storytelling that inspires and brings joy to so many. I am forever grateful for that.”
Eric Goldberg
Animation
When Disney fans wish for imaginative design, innovative action, and classically styled cartooning, they turn to the genie of Walt Disney Animation Studios—and their wishes are granted.
Acclaimed as one of the industry’s top animators, designers, and directors, Eric Goldberg has brought to life some of Disney Animation’s most unforgettable characters. Born in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Eric has been drawing cartoons since he was four years old. After studying illustration, filmmaking and animation at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, he entered the animation profession in the mid-1970s, working for the famed Richard Williams animation studio. In the 1980s, Eric started his own London-based studio, Pizazz Pictures, producing animated television commercials. Then came along an opportunity from John Musker and Ron Clements, directors of Disney Animation’s then in-development Aladdin (1992). “He was the first animator on the movie, and it was a great coup for us to hire him,” Musker said at the time. “This is actually his first film for Disney. His design sense has influenced not only the Genie, but the entire film, and he is absolutely essential.”
In designing and animating Genie, Eric drew inspiration (literally) from the stylish line of famed caricaturist Al Hirschfield. Enlivened by the voice of Disney Legend Robin Wiliams, Genie is a tour de force of personality animation. Eric made Aladdin’s shape-shifting sidekick the ultimate animated character: since Genie can transform himself into any shape at any second, Eric’s quicksilver animation had him assume rapid-fire forms, everything from a bee to Jack Nicholson to Disney’s own Pinocchio. “Genie is basically a trail of smoke,” observed the animator. “As a sample of the kind of freedom we have in the forms, if I make a happy, smiling Genie, I might decide to give him very accentuated cheeks, so that we can see the expressiveness of his smile. And if I wanted to show Genie in a surprised mode, nothing would stop us… from dropping Genie’s cheeks entirely in order to go for the most direct kind of hilarious expression that we can get on the character.”
Eric next directed, with fellow Disney Animation artist Mike Gabriel, the highly stylized animated feature, Pocahontas (1995). “We wanted to present the world in a way that was kind of enchanted—so special, so delicate, so wonderful that it would be a shame if something happened to it. Which as you know, does happen in the course of the movie.” Next, Eric would serve as the supervising animator for that world-weary but wisecracking satyr, Phil, in Hercules (1997). “John and Ron have taken a canvas that’s huge — Ancient Greece and the gods — and given it a scope and breadth that makes it magical. One thing that really does make animation magical is when it stops being something that you could see in live-action and goes to the next level. Animation allows us the scope to do things that are larger than life.” As for Phil, Eric observed, “You can get a heckuva lot of bombast out of him when he boils over and gets angry. But ultimately he’s got a lot of pain in him, and he’s trying to work that through. Hercules helps him deal with it.” At one point the accomplished animator drew the satyr as a literal caricature of voice artist Danny DeVito, but even as he redesigned the character, DeVito remained a strong influence, with a touch of self-caricature: “He’s short, he’s bald, he’s overweight. I can relate.”
At the turn of the millennium, Goldberg directed the “Carnival of the Animals, Finale” segment of Fantasia/2000 (2000). The synthesis of the idea originated with a question. Disney Legend and animation veteran Joe Grant asked himself: ‘What happens when an ostrich encounters a yo-yo?’ Eventually, Joe redrew the idea with flamingos, and Eric was tasked with taking it from there. “Joe had always imagined the piece as a tour de force for one animator,” said Tom Schumacher, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation. “That’s why we brought the concept to Eric.” Envisioning the piece as a conflict between one individualist and six conformists moving in lockstep—that mode of marching in close file where each leg moves with the corresponding leg of the stepper just ahead—made for ample moments of humor in which Eric could breathe animated life into. For the film’s “Rhapsody in Blue” segment, also directed by Eric, he and his wife, art director Susan Goldberg, visualized a day in New York City once again in the linear style of Al Hirschfield, leading to one of the most memorable segments of the film. This veteran animator has also added his expertise to animation of the CG variety—but with a Goldberg twist. Eric supports such films as Moana (2016) and Moana 2 (2024) by overseeing the animation of Mini Maui with hand-drawn flair. “The hand-drawn and CG animators have to work together to ensure the timing between Maui and Mini Maui works,” he says, adding that wherever Mini Maui is on Maui’s body, he still needs to read like a flat tattoo. He was also the supervising animator for the lovable alligator, Louis, in 2009’s The Princess and the Frog.
Most recently, Eric oversaw the hand-drawn animation in Mickey: The Story of a Mouse, a documentary produced by Disney+, and was head of hand-drawn animation on Disney Animation’s Emmy award-winning short film, Once Upon a Studio, created to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary in 2023 and boasting 543 characters from more than 85 Disney Animation feature-length and short films. In 2025, Eric wrote, directed, and the led the animation for the custom episode of Hot Ones featuring Donald Duck. He is also part of a blue-ribbon team supervising the extensive film restorations of such classics as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Cinderella (1950).
“Eric Goldberg was the genius behind the Genie,” reflected John Musker during the production of Hercules. “He is an animator nonparallel whose sense of entertainment and whose imagination and appeal in drawing and animation were invaluable in making a character like Phil come to life. It was always a thrill to see his latest scene unfold for the first time.”
As for Eric, all that he has accomplished with Disney Animation springs from his passion. ”I really love this medium!” he exclaims with his trademark enthusiasm. “People keep telling me, when I speak about animation, it’s infectious for them because I just have so much joy and passion for it, that I can´t contain it inside…And to think I could keep that alive, that pleasant geekery, that continues to fuel me.”
Anne Hathaway
Film
A veteran actor of stage and screen, with memorable performances spanning everywhere from the fictitious likes of Genovia and Wonderland to the high-rise offices of the real-world international fashion industry, few in Hollywood have left the indelible impact on the many realms of popular culture as Anne Hathaway.
Born in New York City, Anne became a student of the performing arts from a young age, before eventually landing at both Vassar College and later New York University.
Anne’s Disney career began with her turn as the memorable Mia Thermopolis in both The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), both starring-vessels that firmly planted her Hollywood roots at the feet of adoring fanbases across the globe. She was later cast as the mild-mannered White Queen in Tim Burton’s Academy Award®-winning take on Alice in Wonderland (2010) and its follow-up, Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
With additional appearances in Ella Enchanted (2004), and Becoming Jane (2007), the actress also voiced Haru in the 2005 English dub of Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns (2002). Her earlier 20th Century Studios film and television credits include Get Real (TV, 1999-2000), an Emmy®-winning cameo appearance on The Simpsons, Family Guy, Love & Other Drugs (2010), and the popular animated features Rio (2011) and Rio 2 (2014) for Blue Sky Studios.
The much-lauded recipient of Oscar®, Golden Globe®, Emmy, Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA Awards, Anne will reprise her role as the fashion-forward Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2, due to theaters in May 2026.
Bob Iger
Administration
It all started with…a Mickey Mouse wristwatch.
Bob Iger is known for many accomplishments, but perhaps he should be most celebrated for his commitment to quality, a respect for the innovative, an eye to the future—and most of all, a love for all things Disney. A symbol for the latter is his vintage 1933 Mickey Mouse Ingersoll watch. One of his most prized possessions, Bob purchased his Mickey Mouse watch at a New York City antique shop the day he learned that Disney was buying Capital Cities/ABC in 1995. “There was this watch in the window, and I said, ‘Now, I’m a Disney cast member,” he recalled. “I have always had tremendous respect for The Walt Disney Company and its excellent management,” Bob said at the time of Disney’s acquisition of ABC. “Our assets and reach can help increase the scope of what is already a worldwide enterprise; but it will be our enthusiasm and spirit, added to theirs, that will give this combination a special dimension. I am very excited to be a part of this new venture and to have the opportunity to help build a unique force in international media.”
Now widely recognized as one of the world’s most consequential business leaders, Bob has built on Disney’s rich legacy of unforgettable storytelling with the acquisitions of Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009), Lucasfilm (2012), and 21st Century Fox (2019); the landmark opening of Disney’s first theme park and resort in mainland China, Shanghai Disney Resort (2016); and the release of a number of record-setting films, including Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), Disney’s Frozen (2013), Zootopia 2 (2025), and Lilo & Stitch (2025), Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (2024), and 20th Century Studio’s Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025).
Like Walt Disney himself, Bob has always embraced technology. He helped position Disney as an industry leader through its creative content offerings across multiple new platforms, including the highly successful launch of the Disney+ streaming service in November 2019.
Bob was born in New York City and raised in Oceanside, New York, a town on Long Island. He graduated magna cum laude from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in television and radio. After serving as a weatherman at a local TV station, he signed on for a network production job at ABC in 1974. He rose up the ranks, becoming president of the ABC Network Television Group in early 1993 and was later named senior vice president of ABC’s corporate parent, Capital Cities/ABC, before being promoted to executive vice president. He was named president and COO of Capital Cities/ABC in 1994 and stayed in that position after Disney bought ABC in 1996. In 2000, he was promoted to president and chief operating officer of The Walt Disney Company. In 2005, Bob was named as CEO, a tenure that would initially last through 2021.
Returning as Disney’s CEO in November of 2022, Bob has led a significant, enterprise-wide transformation to restore creativity to the center of the company.
During his more than 20 years at the helm of Disney, Bob served as steward of the world’s most respected and beloved brands. His strategic vision has focused on three fundamental pillars: generating the best creative content possible; fostering innovation and embracing technology; and expanding into new markets across the globe.
In September 2022, Bob was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II “for services to the UK/US relations”. In addition, in October 2024, Bob was awarded the title of Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur by French president Emmanuel Macron for his service to France.
Bob is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2020. He is married to Willow Bay, Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Bob is the author of the New York Times best-selling book The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of The Walt Disney Company, published in 2019, where he additionally shared 10 “principles that strike me as necessary to true leadership,” such as being optimistic, courageous, curious and fair. Reflecting on the concept of “Authenticity,” he wrote, “Be genuine. Be honest. Don’t fake anything. Truth and authenticity breed respect and trust.” Commenting on “Integrity,” Bob stated: “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.”
As his treasured Mickey Mouse watch attests, Bob’s appreciation for Disney and its fans are heartfelt, transcending corporate identities and business considerations. “While each of our businesses might seem different from one another, in fact they fuel each other in ways that are just distinctly Disney,” Bob said at the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009. “They are bound by a common mission: to tell great stories… and to bring you those stories in the most modern, relevant, and compelling ways.” Bob added that the world needs to be entertained, maybe even more so now than ever.
“We take that responsibility seriously,” he said. “We are grateful for every moment, every memory that we’re fortunate enough to be part of. And we’re grateful to you for caring so much about the things we create and inviting Disney into your lives in such profound ways.” Bob made it clear that he speaks for everyone at Disney when he said, “there is nothing we love more than to entertain you, thrill you, surprise you, and fill your hearts with joy and wonder. And we know that when we do all of that, we’re doing our jobs right,” he noted. “It is such a privilege for me to lead such a remarkable company that brings joy to so many people around the world — both to the young, and as Walt liked to say, the young at heart. We have a lot to be proud of and even more to look forward to.”
Kim Irvine
Imagineering
A self-described “Disney Child,” Kim Irvine forged her own Imagineering legacy by working to preserve and enhance the design and look of Walt Disney’s original magic kingdom, Disneyland.
After more than five decades with Walt Disney Imagineering. Kim retired in 2025 – very appropriately during the 70th anniversary year of Disneyland Park, her main area of focus, energy and passion. Over her 55 years at Walt Disney Imagineering, the leadership of this prolific Imagineer has resulted in an enduring legacy of creativity and the highest standards across Disney Parks globally, but especially at The Happiest Place on Earth. “I just love this park” she said as she neared retirement. “I love to go out early in the morning, before the Guests arrive and just take it all in. The flower beds freshly planted, that familiar music playing, the Cast Members bustling around getting ready for the day. And I think “it is going to be so hard to leave this place. Like moving away from home for the first time.”
As Executive Creative Director of the Walt Disney Imagineering Anaheim office, Kim oversaw the concept design, color styling, exterior and interior design for most Disneyland projects. As she saw it, a large part of Imagineering’s role is the care and nurturing of the park that Walt created for “all who come to this happy place.” Kim noted, “Our Guests own this place. This is their park. We just take care of it for them.”
A Southern California native, this prolific Imagineer grew up with Disney as a living experience in her own home. “I was born and bred Disney”, explains Kim, “It has always been part of my life. Both of my parents were accomplished artists and taught my sister and I to draw, paint and sculpt from a very young age. I owe all my artistic talent to them. My father, Harvey Toombs, was one of Walt’s animators, starting in the early 40’s. It was there that he met my mother, Leota, while working together on a project.” Kim’s mother was Imagineer and Disney Legend Leota Toombs, who among her many accomplishments, left an indelible mark on the classic Haunted Mansion attraction as the face of Madame Leota in the Séance Circle and the face and voice of the “Ghostess” ((unofficially known as “Little Leota”) at the attraction’s exit.
When the Imagineers chose Leota as the fortune-telling face in the crystal ball, a life mask was made of her face. When Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas overlay was created for the Haunted Mansion and Leota’s incantation was rewritten in 2001, Kim was asked to recreate the role. It was an incredible experience to go through the same process that she had, especially memorizing that new incantation! “Funny thing is,” she explained, “that the technicians discovered that our life masks are so very similar that they can project her face on my mask and they match up perfectly! She would have loved that.”
Kim began forging her own path in 1970 as a model builder and painter at WED Enterprises. She worked in the famed Model Shop painting “it’s a small world” dolls and toys, feathering Enchanted Tiki Room birds, and building scale models for the soon to open Walt Disney World Resort. After the opening of that park, she began mentoring with soon to be Disney Legend and Imagineer John Hench, on color and its application to architecture.
In 1979, Irvine, under the direction of Hench and Disney Legend Marty Sklar, sought to open the first Imagineering office in Anaheim, California, in an era when WED’s emphasis had been on the new and expansive Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
“They became very concerned that there was so much focus on Walt Disney World and other new park prospects, that their “first born,” Disneyland, was not getting the attention it needed. So, they decided to create an onsite team that would focus primarily on that park,” Kim continues. “In those days, most of the Disneyland teams were men. There were very few women, except for in office roles. And, they had become very accustomed to having WED busy doing other things and making design decisions on their own. Naturally, choices were made with more concern for durability than aesthetics. So, they were concerned when there was this WED person now giving design direction…and she was a girl!” They got over that very quickly, though, and we became a very tight group. We accomplished many fantastic rehabs and enhancements together. After all, we had one thing in common, [we] all loved that place!”
Kim’s artistry and leadership won out. Among many other projects large and small, she was instrumental in the design of Rancho Del Zocalo Restaurante, The Disneyland Dream Suite, the Disney dolls in “it’s a small world”, the Club 33 expansion, the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café, and many refurbishments of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
In 2011, Irvine became the first female recipient of the prestigious Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Outstanding Achievements from the Themed Entertainment Association.
This self-described “second generation Imagineer” has mentored many Imagineers around the world. Her daughter, Ali Irvine-Wheeler, is now a third generation Imagineer, following the path pioneered by her mother and grandmother. Kim’s other daughter, Emily Irvine-Haft excels in Kim’s other passion of gardening and landscape design. As for Kim, it’s about returning to the principles established by Walt and all those who helped to create Disneyland,
“My dear mentor, John Hench, used to tell me, as we would sit on a bench in this beloved park, “this is a place where people can play. Many of us forget how to play when we grow up. When people walk through those gates and hear that music and see Mickey or Goofy, they remember again!” To be an Imagineer and be able to provide a place where people, young and old, can play, is very fulfilling.”
Dwayne Johnson
Film and Voice
In a career defined by breaking stereotypes, Dwayne Johnson began by rewriting a well-worn cliché. For him, necessity was the mother of reinvention. After a nomadic childhood marked by economic insecurity, Johnson was down to his last $7. At 23, he had just seen his dream of playing professional football slip away. Rather than retreat, Johnson threw himself into the first of a series of bold transformations.
Over his father’s objections (but with his mother’s blessing), Johnson plunged headlong into professional wrestling. He emerged as the most popular and successful wrestler of all time. Johnson risked that success by reinventing himself once more as an actor and, over the years, eventually becoming the highest-paid leading man in Hollywood. He followed that by expanding into producing film, TV, and digital programming through the resonantly named Seven Bucks Productions. In addition, Johnson wrote a memoir that became a New York Times #1 bestseller and has channeled his other, varied passions into a range of philanthropic and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Johnson’s most visible transformation came in a career-redefining portrayal of UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, the first solo directing effort by Benny Safdie. Outwardly transforming into Kerr was arduous, involving more than 20 prosthetics and taking four hours per day (the film received an Academy Award nomination for Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling). Johnson’s inner transformation was a revelation, as his performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama.
Next up, Johnson will reunite with Safdie, transforming again into an eccentric septuagenarian named Chicken Man in Lizard Music, based on Daniel Pinkwater’s beloved, surreal children’s novel. Then Johnson will collaborate with the legendary Martin Scorsese, who is directing the adaptation of Johnson’s true-crime book (co-written with acclaimed author Nick Bilton) about Hawaiian mob boss Wilford “Nappy” Pulawa. Johnson will star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt, and will also produce the film with Blunt. In addition, Johnson is starring in Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky’s untitled psychological thriller with A24.
Johnson made his film debut in 2001’s The Mummy Returns, landed his first leading role in The Scorpion King the following year, and hasn’t looked back, grossing more than $15 billion globally, making him one of the top five box-office stars of all time. Along the way, Johnson has revived blockbusters—jump-starting the Fast & Furious franchise in 2011 and rebooting Jumanji in 2017 with two sequels—and launched his own. Johnson voiced the demigod Maui in Disney’s Academy Award-nominated animated film Moana, then reprised the role in Moana 2, which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, and will reinvent the part for the highly anticipated live-action Moana (in theaters summer 2026). In all, Johnson has appeared in more than 40 films, including: The Rundown (2003), Be Cool (2005), Black Adam (2022), Central Intelligence (2016) , Fighting with My Family (2019), The Game Plan (2007), Get Smart (2008), Gridiron Gang (2006), Jungle Cruise (2021), Pain and Gain (2013), Red Notice (2021), Red One (2024), San Andreas (2015), Skyscraper (2018), Walking Tall (2004), and Zootopia 2 (2025).
Jonas Brothers
Television and Music
Standing out as one of the most successful groups of the 21st century, Jonas Brothers – Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Kevin Jonas – have sold north of 20 million albums and counting, garnered two GRAMMY® Award nominations, earned 26 Billboard Hot 100 hits, logged three consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard 200, and generated billions of streams.
Globally recognized as multi-platinum pop stars as a unit and as individuals, the band of brothers became household names with albums It’s About Time (2006), Jonas Brothers (2007), A Little Bit Longer (2008), and Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009). The New Jersey natives skyrocketed to fame as some of Disney Channel’s most prominent stars – with lead roles in Camp Rock (2007), Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010), Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience (2009), and even via their own dedicated television series JONAS (2009–2010).
Their success as a musical trio was solidified with Camp Rock (2008). Over 10 million viewers tuned in to the premiere, transforming the siblings from stars to superstars. The Camp Rock soundtrack from Walt Disney Records debuted as the #3 album on the Billboard Top 200 and reached Platinum in the U.S. and eight other countries. After the popularity of the first film, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam premiered on the Disney Channel on September 3, 2010, reaching a total of 7.9 million viewers on its first broadcast, the most for a film on cable television that year.
After branching out to individual efforts, in 2019 they notably ignited the comeback of the decade with their Platinum-Certified Republic Records debut, Happiness Begins. It yielded the history-making, 5x-Platinum smash “Sucker,” which minted them as “the first group in the 21st century to debut at #1 on the Hot 100,” exploded as the “longest running #1 Pop Airplay Single of 2019,” and received a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.”
In 2023, the Jonas Brothers were honored with their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were celebrated with the Hand and Footprint ceremony in 2025. As for their Disney roots, it was a holiday homecoming for the brothers in 2025 with the release of A Very Jonas Christmas Movie on Disney+. 2025 marked a special year for Jonas Brothers as they celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band. They also hosted a milestone JONASCON fan event at New Jersey’s American Dream, where they celebrated 20 years of legacy, memories, and the Jonas Brothers fan community with over 75,000 fans from all over the world in attendance. JONASCON kicked off what became an unforgettable year for the Jonas Brothers, including their brand-new album, Greetings from Your Hometown, out now, and the highly anticipated ‘JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown’ Tour, which kicked off on August 10th at MetLife Stadium.
Upcoming projects for this multi-talented group include another return to the Disney stage: the highly anticipated Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock 3. “Music, friendship, memories,” Nick said. “We’re back, exactly where we’re supposed to be,” Joe replied. “Still no birdhouse,” added Kevin.
Lin Manuel Miranda
Film and Music
We may not talk about Bruno, but we definitely talk about Lin-Manuel Miranda.
A Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, Tony Award-winning songwriter, actor, producer, and director, Lin-Manuel Miranda is a modern-day Renaissance man. The creator and original star of Broadway’s cultural phenomenon, Hamilton, composer of In the Heights, and the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award and 2018 Kennedy Center Honors, this acclaimed creative has dedicated his career to the art form of the great American musical on stage and screen. “The things that I loved about doing theater in high school are all the things I love about doing theater now. I love the collaboration, getting to work with all different kinds of people who are good at different things, making something that is bigger than any one person can make alone.”
In late 2013, when Hamilton was in rehearsals, Disney Executive Vice President Tom MacDougall—then head of music for Disney’s animated divisions and overseeing the Frozen soundtrack—began seeking the involvement of Lin-Manuel, who credits The Little Mermaid (1989) and other Disney musicals of the era for inspiring his career. Soon after, Disney hired the multi-hyphenate to write and co-create several songs for the animated musical feature Moana (2016). “I really related to Moana in a lot of ways,” says Lin-Manuel. “She has a family that she loves, an island that she loves, but there’s a voice inside that’s calling. The idea of quieting life enough so that you can hear that inner voice was something really worth writing about for me because I think it’s so important.” Moana’s anthem, “How Far I’ll Go” earned the artist his first Academy-Award nomination for Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy Award. Miranda is returning as a producer and music collaborator on Disney’s upcoming live-action reimagining of Moana, premiering in theaters this summer.
After the animated Moana wrapped, Lin-Manuel told MacDougall, “Listen, I know you guys have some Latin-themed things up your sleeve. If there’s going to be a Disney Latina princess, I’ve been training all my life!” Miranda’s eight songs for the Encanto soundtrack all charted on the Billboard Hot 100, leading him to spend 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 Songwriters chart and to ultimately be named Billboard’s top Hot 100 songwriter of 2022. Much of that was thanks to the unlikely and explosive leader of the pack: the intricate, multicharacter showstopper “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which spent five weeks at No. 1. “Surface Pressure,” “The Family Madrigal,” “What Else Can I Do?,” “Waiting on a Miracle,” and Academy-Award nominee “Dos Oruguitas,” all also rank among the most streamed songs on Spotify, where “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has been streamed more than 100 million times.
In 2018, this Disney musical-loving performer got the chance to star in a Disney musical himself, and appeared in Mary Poppins Returns as Jack the Lamplighter. As far back as Lin-Manuel can remember, Walt Disney’s 1964 original feature film was a staple in his parents’ home video collection. “I don’t recall the first time I saw it,” he says. “Because it just lived in our house like furniture, with the other Disney movies.” Having imagined being part of the world of Mary Poppins since childhood, there were two moments during production of the sequel in which Miranda felt the thrill. “The first moment was seeing Cherry Tree Lane for the first time, because they brick-for-brick rebuilt it and it really looks like the original, you can’t help but feel transported.” The second moment came when Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke was on set. “It was magical,” Lin-Manuel says, “It was where we realized, ‘Oh, we’re part of something a lot bigger than us, we’re inheriting this incredible legacy.’”
Lin-Manuel served as producer of the live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid (2023) and also wrote the lyrics for three new songs composed by the original 1989 film’s composer, Disney Legend Alan Menken. In addition, Lin-Manuel composed the songs for Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). As an actor, Miranda now plays Hermes in Disney+’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians seasons one and two and will reprise the role for season 3. Other Disney credits include: original songs for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019); Gizmoduck/Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera in DuckTales (2018); and The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012).
Miranda’s first Broadway show was In the Heights, which premiered at the Richard Rodgers Theater in 2008. He is perhaps best-known for his 2015 master work, Hamilton, an 11-time Tony Award®, Grammy Award®, Olivier Award, and Pulitzer Prize winner. The filmed version was fast-tracked to stream on Disney+ beginning July 3, 2020. Disney showcased Hamilton in select movie theaters in 2025.
Lin-Manuel and the Miranda Family are also active supporters of initiatives that increase the representation of people of color throughout the arts and government, ensure access to women’s reproductive health, and promote resilience in Puerto Rico.
Alan Tudyk
Voice
Many actors have range, but Alan Tudyk’s range makes him one of Disney’s go-to voice actors, and in some cases…lucky charm. In fact, his vocal versatility is…Turbo-Tastic!
This multi-talented actor has appeared on stage, screen, and television, but it is his voice that has been heard by anyone who has seen many of Disney’s most recent—and wildly popular! — animated features. Most famously, perhaps, he performed an Ed Wynn-like voice for King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph (2012), whose zaniness belies a dark side (spoiler alert…he’s actually the villainous Turbo). He has voiced everything from a baby goat who has the heart and soul (and voice) of a suave leading man to a skittish rooster on his credit list—for Alan has been in every Disney animated movie since that first 2012 digital bow.
A native of Texas, Alan attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and has starred on Broadway opposite Kristin Chenoweth in Epic Proportions and played Lancelot with the original cast in Monty Python’s Spamalot. For film, he gained notable attention as a hyper-paranoid mental patient opposite Disney Legend Robin Williams in Patch Adams (Universal, 1998), with other movie credits including 28 Days (Columbia, 2000), A Knight’s Tale (Columbia, 2001), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (20th Century Studios, 2004), and Disney’s live-action Peter Pan & Wendy (2023). On television, he appeared in the critically acclaimed ABC comedy Suburgatory (2011-2014) and garnered a cult following as a member of Joss Whedon’s sci-fi series Firefly (2002) for Fox. In 2015, he wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy web series Con Man, which earned him a Primetime Emmy® Award nomination.
But for Disney fans and animation aficionados, Alan’s most notable roles came as a voice artist. The actor’s affinity for voicing lively characters started in his childhood. “When I was little, I liked voices. I liked cartoons a lot. I liked Robin Williams a lot and watching him. And so I would practice doing the voices that I heard him do, or [that] different comedians did. But I always considered that just acting. And then it wasn’t until I was acting in a play that some casting directors saw me and then called me in to start auditioning for voice overs.” From there, he would go on to provide the “clucks” and “squawks” for Heihei in Moana (2016). He returned for the sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) as Knowsmore, and in Frozen 2 he played a variety of characters, including the Northuldra Leader.
Alan also provided the unique animal sounds for Tuk Tuk in Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) and as a Toucan in Encanto (2021). He returned as Heihei for Moana 2 (2024), and as Duke Weaselton in both Zootopia (2016) and Zootopia 2 (2025). He also narrated and provided additional voices for Strange World (2022), and was the voice of Valentino the goat in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ centenary year feature, Wish (2023). “He’s brilliant,” said Wish director Chris Buck. “We’ll give him a line and maybe an alt or two, and he’ll give us things we never thought of—Valentino’s low voice was unexpected to say the least.”
Outside the walls of Disney Animation, Alan also voiced the robot Sonny in the 20th Century Studios live-action feature I, Robot (2004), and also performed the motion capture movements for the character, studying mime and kickboxing for the role. For Rouge One: A Star Wars Story (2016), K-2SO was Tudyk’s first Disney company voice role in a live-action film, instead of an animated film.
Later reprising the role in the Disney+ series Andor, the actor would earn an EMMY® nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.
Alan’s vocal talents can also be heard voicing characters in such Disney projects as Monsters at Work and Zootopia+, and in Ice Age (2002) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) for 20th Century Studios and Blue Sky Studios.
Winning an Annie Award for voice acting for his performance as King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph, Rich Moore, director of the film, reflected about Alan: “He’s such a versatile actor. He’s like a chef—he throws a bunch of ingredients into a stew that brews in his head. The performances he gives are in the moment.” Small wonder that, in the words of Rich Moore, “Alan has become somewhat of a go-to good luck charm for Disney.”
Ryan Seacrest
Disney Legends Ceremony Host
Ryan Seacrest is an Emmy-Winning television host, radio personality, mega producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. As one of the most recognizable and trusted voices in media today, Seacrest is the host and producer of the #1 Los Angeles morning drive-time show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, the internationally syndicated “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” and “American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest.” In Fall 2024, he took the reins hosting “Wheel of Fortune,” launching a new era of the beloved syndicated game show, which currently ranks as the #2 syndicated show in the United States. Seacrest also hosts “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune”.
For 24 seasons, Seacrest has hosted television’s ground-breaking singing competition series, ABC’s “American Idol,” and earned several Emmy Award nominations for his work on the show. Additionally, since 2005 Seacrest has been the host and executive producer of the annual live broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” which remains the number one broadcast of the night year after year.
Seacrest has also produced a number of hit series including E!’s “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and its spinoffs, as well as E!’s “E! Live From The Red Carpet,” Netflix’s “Insatiable,” NBC’s “Shades of Blue” starring Jennifer Lopez, and the Emmy Award-winning series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” for ABC.
Seacrest’s philanthropic efforts include serving as founder and chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), which has successfully installed fourteen broadcast media centers – Seacrest Studios – in pediatric hospitals nationwide with the next opening in New Orleans. Seacrest Studios reaches an estimated 3.1 million patients and families through its programming annually.