Disney’s spectacular Legends ceremony brought a host of top-class stars to the Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday evening to close out the Mouse House’s D23 Expo.
The Disney Legends Awards program is a hall of fame for individuals who have made a significant impact on the Disney legacy. Past honorees include Christina Aguilera, Stan Lee, Betty White and Oprah Winfrey.
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Angela Bassett was honored for her three-decade collaboration with Disney, including her role in Touchstone’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” her storytelling on National Geographic’s “The Flood” and the Disney+ documentary series “The Imagineering Story,” and most recently her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler recalled being inspired by Bassett’s work as a child when he introduced her. “To see her and what she does is truly a gift,” he said, telling the audience how she led his cast after the loss of lead actor Chadwick Boseman. “She’s incredible. She’s been incredible for decades.”
Bassett noted, “From the first day I pursued a career as an actress, I understood that I was part of something bigger than myself. I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me along the way.” She added, “I am forever proud to be your wife, your mother, your sister and your aunt.”
“Titanic” director James Cameron was also among the honorees. He was honored for his work on the “Avatar” film series, for which he is currently in post-production on the third installment, with a fourth and fifth installment planned for pre-production. He is also responsible for several documentaries made in collaboration with National Geographic, including the Emmy-winning “Secrets of the Whales” and the Emmy-nominated “Secrets of the Elephants.” He was also executive producer of the OceanXplorers series, which is scheduled to be released by National Geographic in fall 2024.
“Titanic” star Kate Winslet sent in a video message and said: “Dearest Jim, you continue to strive for greater heights that I am not sure anyone but you will ever reach. The power of your imagination continues to inspire us all.” She introduced “Avatar” actress Zoe Saldana, who presented Cameron with his award.
“I thank you for the best gift a director can give an actor: job security. I will retire when the last ‘Avatar’ movie is in theaters,” Saldana said with a laugh. “Working with you has been a wild ride. Your passion, dedication and eye for detail are truly unmatched. But more than that, I thank you for making me laugh, for making me cry and for making me sad.”
“As a storyteller expressing yourself through film, you are not a solo act. You are only as good as the artists you gather around you,” Cameron said in his speech. “I know that every day that I am here, my job is to empower and encourage the other artists, whether they are actors, design or concept artists or computer animators, to inspire them to do their best every day. That is my job.”
Cameron also took the time to honor his producing partner John Landau, who passed away last month. “As I stand here, I’m thinking of one person, and that is my producing partner of 30 years, John Landau. All of us in the ‘Avatar’ family miss him very much. Our goal is to carry on his legacy as an unsung Disney legend ourselves.”
The evening’s host, Ryan Seacrest, presented his longtime co-host Kelly Ripa with the Disney Legend Award. “There is no better storyteller than Kelly Ripa,” he said. “She is the best at making people feel good.”
Ripa began her career as an actress on the soap opera “All My Children” and the sitcom “Hope & Faith.” She is best known for her work in morning television as co-host of ABC’s “Live,” where she has appeared since 2001.
Ripa teased her boyfriend Seacrest: “Ryan, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m so glad we finally found something else for you to host.” She then thanked her “super hot” husband Mark Conseulos with some adult-friendly jokes, adding: “We met on the set of ‘All My Children’ 30 years ago and from then on we conceived our own three children right backstage in the Disney labs. I’m just kidding! We conceived them in our dressing rooms. I’m fun again. I’m fun again — HR asked me to remind everyone of that.”
Bassett, Cameron and Ripa were joined by fellow Disney legends Jamie Lee Curtis, James L. Brooks, Harrison Ford, Frank Oz, John Williams and Miley Cyrus, costume designer Colleen Atwood, Disney Parks cast member Martha Blanding, Marvel comics artist Steve Ditko, animator Mark Henn and Imagineer Joe Rohde.
Other highlights of the ceremony included the introduction of Curtis by Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster, Cyrus’ love letter to “Hannah Montana” and Ford’s emotional acceptance speech.
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