Is This the Greatest Class of Disney Legends Ever?
Every two years, Disney hosts the D23 Expo at Anaheim.
As part of the festivities, Disney honors some of its most iconic employees, naming them Disney Legends.
Simply stated, there is no greater honorific for someone involved with Disney.
We just learned the names of the 14 members of the Disney Legends Class of 2024.
Once you read the names, I suspect you’ll agree with me that this is one of Disney’s best Legends classes ever.
Colleen Atwood
How many Academy Awards have you won? The answer’s zero, right? Yeah, me too.
Well, we’re all four victories behind Colleen Atwood, who has dominated the Oscars over the years, earning 12 nominations.
A frequent collaborator of Tim Burton, Atwood’s costume designs proved integral to the success of 2010’s Alice in Wonderland.
Atwood is legitimately one of the most accredited people in Hollywood, which you’ll notice is a running theme with this list.
Angela Bassett
During the 2022-2023 awards season, Angela Bassett reminded people yet again of what a stupendous talent she is.
The marvelous actress won a Golden Globe in early 2023 for her work as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
However, Disney fans know that Bassett’s relationship with the company goes back much longer.
In 1993, Bassett’s portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It earned another Golden Globe victory and Academy Award nod.
Bassett has also voiced Mildred, the leader of the Sixth Street Orphanage, in Disney’s Meet the Robinsons.
More recently, she voiced Dorothea Williams in Pixar’s Soul.
Martha Blanding
Many of this year’s Disney Legends claimed a piece of the company’s history.
For Martha Blanding, her milestone is especially significant.
In 1971, Blanding became a Cast Member at Disneyland.
More importantly, she was the “first permanent full-time Black Tour Guide.”
Remarkably, her Disney career would last for more than half a century, a longer tenure even Walt Disney could claim.
Blanding’s selection feels particularly fitting in that she played a hand in the creation of the Official Disneyana Convention.
As the official D23 site notes, that event was the precursor to the current D23 Expo.
Now, Blanding will become a Disney Legend at a ceremony whose creation is partially because of her.
James L. Brooks
A writer, producer, and director by trade, James L. Brooks is as iconic as the entertainment industry allows.
Brooks co-created The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi, among others.
He also directed two of the most recognizable films of their decades, Terms of Endearment and As Good As It Gets.
Still, the most lingering contribution Brooks has made to society is one that occurred outside his office.
A comic strip illustrator reconfigured the details of his signature work, Life in Hell, rather than give up ownership.
In that desperate moment, Matt Groening created The Simpsons, which James L. Brooks has produced since its inception.
Brooks also co-wrote The Simpsons Movie and will forever be remembered as the co-creator of one of arguably the most significant television series ever.
James Cameron
Oh, come on. You knew this one was coming.
Bob Iger’s passion for the Avatar franchise is unmistakable.
Conversely, Cameron seems to treasure his opportunities to play in the Disney theme park sandbox.
So, the most successful film director of our lifetime is an obvious choice as a Disney Legend.
Because: Avatar.
Jamie Lee Curtis
When we discuss Hollywood blue bloods, the list begins and ends with Jamie Lee Curtis, whose parents were Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis.
Trust me. At the time, that was the equivalent of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce…and then some.
Curtis started working pretty much the moment she became an adult, earning a reputation as one of the best scream queens.
In 2003, Curtis took on an iconic role at Disney in portraying the mother of Lindsay Lohan’s character in the remake of Freaky Friday.
Over the past 20 years, Curtis has become a trusted Disney performer, most recently in 2023’s Haunted Mansion.
The actress also made a surprise appearance in an episode of that one wildly popular Hulu series, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
At the time, Curtis was the reigning winner as Best Supporting Actress, and her willingness to perform that role spoke volumes.
Curtis is extraordinarily tight with Disney these days, and she’s definitely earned the title of Disney Legend through her 47-year career.
That’s right. Curtis has been working for more than a decade more than the next Disney Legend has been alive.
Miley Cyrus
Not many people can say that they’re in their 30s and already Disney Legends.
Miley Cyrus will be 31 years old when she checks off that box, but I get it.
Long before Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert shocked box office observers.
The Disney concert movie shattered box office records and perceptions of what a film could do on Super Bowl Weekend.
There’s a hilarious story about how the Hannah Montana series performed so shockingly well in its early days.
Disney executives were so caught off-guard by the show’s success that they called an emergency, all-hands-on-deck weekend meeting.
Everyone debated the best ways to maximize the Hannah Montana brand, which ultimately led to the movie and concert tour.
To a certain generation of Disney fans, Miley Cyrus IS the Disney Channel. So, this selection is, if anything, long overdue.
Steve Ditko
The late Steve Ditko died in 2018. He was 90 at the time, and Disney had owned Marvel for nine years by then.
So, many will wonder why Disney didn’t laud Ditko as a Disney Legend while he was still alive.
Presumably, the artist’s notoriously prickly personality played a part in this decision.
Still, Ditko’s imprint on the Marvel brand is indelible, as is what his creations meant to Disney.
The new Disney Legend co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, among countless others.
Ditko also settled on the signature colors of yellow and red. So, he definitely understood how to maximize primary colors.
Ditko joins other Marvel icons Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, both of whom were inducted as Disney Legends in 2017.
Harrison Ford
Okay, this one may boggle your mind, but it’s true.
Disney had never named Harrison Ford a Disney Legend before this year.
In 2017, Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher earned the title, but Disney chose not to honor Ford at the time.
In the seven years that followed, this move felt inevitable, as Ford has tightened his Disney relationship in recent years.
Remember that Disney never owned either Star Wars nor Indiana Jones until the company purchased Lucasfilm in 2012.
Once Ford filmed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, everyone knew he’d earn the title of Disney Legend soon.
Still, I’m melancholy that Ford couldn’t join at the same time as Fisher and Hamill, thereby embracing the stars of the Holy Trilogy at the same time.
Mark Henn
You may not know the name, but that’s the regrettable part of becoming a Disney illustrator.
The company doesn’t always highlight the individual accomplishments of its creators.
So, let’s approach this from a different perspective. Mark Henn worked as the lead animator for these characters:
- Ariel in The Little Mermaid
- Belle in Beauty and the Beast
- Jasmine in Aladdin
- Mulan
- Tiana in The Princess and the Frog
- Young Simba in The Lion King
Yes, we’re all in Mark Henn’s debt for the contributions he has made to our lives.
Frankly, the only reason why Disney hadn’t chosen him sooner is either he or they wanted to wait until he retired, which he did in 2023.
Frank Oz
Several of this year’s Disney Legends slot into the category of, “Why weren’t they already selected?”
Here’s a blueprint example, as Frank Oz voices a few characters you may know.
We’re talking about Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Animal on The Muppets. Oh, and voiced a character named Yoda, did he.
The iconic puppeteer has also directed several movies like The Dark Crystal, In & Out, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Oz is Disney to the core, and this move is long overdue.
Kelly Ripa
How much does Disney love Kelly Ripa?
Well, the company could have chosen anyone in the world to host its centennial television special. Disney picked Ripa.
That’s understandable since the talk show host started with Disney as an actress on All My Children in 1990.
When Kathie Lee Gifford retired from Live!, then-host Regis Philbin remembered Ripa for her spark.
In 2001, Ripa became the co-host of Live!, and it’s no exaggeration to say that she has made Disney hundreds of millions of dollars since then.
Joe Rohde
Perhaps the darkest day of the Bob Chapek regime at Disney came in November 2020.
On an otherwise innocuous day during the grueling timelessness of the pandemic, Disney posted something on Instagram.
That post indicated that Imagineer Joe Rohde would leave the company the following month.
Nobody needed to be an investigative reporter to realize that Chapek had pushed out Rohde.
Thankfully, the beloved Imagineer landed on his feet, literally inventing the future of luxury space travel.
For his part, Rohde left an imprint on Disney that’s unmistakable.
We can summarize it in one theme park: Disney’s Animal Kingdom. That’s Joe Rohde’s baby through and through.
Fittingly, Rohde also worked on Pandora – The World of Avatar, meaning that he’ll join Cameron in becoming Disney Legends together.
That’s a lovely way to celebrate their joint triumphs in constructing an entirely alien world at a Disney theme park.
Rohde was also the point person in creating Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa.
So, his fingerprint reaches across the ocean and soon he’ll claim outer space as well.
When we think about the greatness of modern Imagineers, we’re wordlessly paying tribute to people like Joe Rohde.
Fittingly, Walt Disney Imagineering’s social media team posted this on Instagram.
Rohde also added his own thoughts, and you’ll probably notice some other recognizable Imagineers offering their congratulations.
When Rohde left Disney, I think it’s fair to say that a black cloud hovered over Imagineering.
This move marks the final step in removing that black cloud for good.
John Williams
When we discuss prolific talents, the conversation begins and ends with John Williams.
The composer has scored more than 100 films during his illustrious career.
Let’s just say that his work has been well-received by critics.
Williams has won an almost incomprehensible 26 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globes.
Of course, you’ll burn me in effigy if I fail to mention a specific work of Williams.
Yes, the composer created the unforgettable soundtrack for Star Wars, formulating the music that defined many people’s lives.
Williams has also composed the music for Jaws, the Indiana Jones franchise, Jurassic Park, and the early Harry Potter films.
Fun fact about Williams: the only person with more career Academy Awards nominations than his 53 is…Walt Disney.
If ever anyone deserved to be a Disney Legend, it’s Williams.
Then again, you could say about all of this year’s selections. This is one of the strongest classes ever.
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Feature Photo: D23