ANAHEIM, Calif. – It took two Hollywood stars to induct Jamie Lee Curtis into the Disney Legends Club.
Curtis, 65, was selected as the recipient of the Disney Legend Award at Sunday’s Disney Legends Awards ceremony along with the two leading actresses of “Freaky Friday,” Lindsay Lohan, who starred in the 2003 remake, and Jodie Foster, who starred in the 1976 original. The event, held before a crowd of 12,000 fans at the Honda Center, closed out Disney’s D23 Fan Expo.
“The thing about Jamie Lee Curtis is that she’s timeless,” said Lohan, who is currently working with Curtis on the sequel “Freaky Friday.” “I feel so blessed to have had Jamie as a friend in my life, and I’m so blessed to be working with the woman I love so much.”
This year’s 14 Disney Legend honorees also include actors Angela Bassett, Miley Cyrus and Harrison Ford, actress and host Kelly Ripa, film directors James L. Brooks, James Cameron and Frank Oz, composer John Williams, Disney costume designer Colleen Atwood, tour guide turned manager and producer Martha Blanding, cartoonist and author Steve Ditko, animator Mark Henn and theme park designer Joe Rohde.
The Disney Legends Awards ceremony will stream on Disney+ starting Monday (5pm ET/2pm PST).
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Foster gave a lengthy speech thanking Curtis for their longtime friendship in Hollywood, noting that the “Scream Queens” star frequently shops online for friends.
“She’s so caring and kind that I want to punch her in the face,” Foster said. “She bought me the best bra ever. Thank you, Jamie, for caring about my breasts.”
“Star Wars” star Harrison Ford became a legend and presented the award to John Williams.
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger inducted the 82-year-old “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” legendary actor into the Hall of Fame, where he received a deafening standing ovation. Ford became emotional during his speech, fighting back tears as he told fans, “I love the life you’ve given me.”
Ford returned to the stage with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy to pay tribute to legendary composer Williams, 92, who was unable to attend.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that John Williams is the greatest film composer of all time,” Kennedy said of the five-time Academy Award winner.
“John wrote the soundtrack to our lives,” Ford added.
Ryan Seacrest praises Kelly Ripa’s ‘magic powers’
Disney Legends host Ryan Seacrest introduced Ripa, 53, co-host of “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” “You really have magical powers,” Seacrest told Ripa.
Ripa was quick to gently criticize Seacrest onstage: “I’m so glad you found some other host,” she said.
Ripa, who worked at ABC for 34 years, said she owes “everything” to Disney, even going so far as to say that she met her “super handsome” husband, Mark Consuelos, on the set of “All My Children” 30 years ago.
“We made our three babies backstage in a Disney lab,” Ripa said. “I’m just kidding. We made them in our dressing room. I’m just kidding.”
‘Hannah Montana’ Forever: Miley Cyrus is the Youngest Disney Legend Ever
Country singer Rainie Wilson introduced Cyrus, noting that her first job was performing as Hannah Montana at “birthday parties, festivals and whatnot.”
Wilson performed “The Best of Boss World,” one of 15 “Hannah Montana” songs she learned cover to cover for the job.
“You inspired me to believe in myself,” Wilson said, thanking Silas for “persevering no matter what.”
The 31-year-old pop icon made history as the company’s youngest Disney Legend. Cyrus quickly became emotional when she took the stage to accept her Legend award, predicting that she was “definitely going to cry.” She made good on her promise as she reminisced about her breakout role on the Disney Channel teen sitcom “Hannah Montana,” which aired from 2006 to 2011.
“There was a rumor going around the Disney offices in Burbank that all the Disney Kids were made there,” Cyrus told TMZ. “I’m pretty sure they weren’t made in a lab, but if they were, then somewhere between 2013 and 2016 the system must have developed a bug that caused it to malfunction.”
Cyrus expressed her gratitude to the “Hannah Montana” brigade.
“So much has changed since that day, and yet, at the same time, nothing has changed,” Cyrus said. “I am still proud to have been a part of ‘Hannah Montana’ and I dedicate this award to Hannah and all of her incredible, loyal fans. To quote the legendary actress, ‘This is the life.'”
Angela Bassett celebrates finally becoming a Disney legend
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler welcomed Angela Bassett to his legends club, where she recalled seeing the films Boyz n the Hood in 1991 as a five-year-old and Malcolm X in 1992.
“I remember being blown away by Angela’s performance,” Coogler said. “That was the beginning of our relationship.”
Bassett, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Ramonda in 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” called Coogler a “true visionary” and thanked his fans.
“You are a magical person,” Bassett said. “Words can’t express how grateful I am.”
She concluded: “Thank you again for recognizing me. I am now a Disney Legend.”
Disney Princesses Unite for Mark Henn
Animator Mark Henn was honored for animating and creating some of the most timeless characters in Walt Disney Studios history, including Tiana, Mulan, young Simba, Jasmine, Belle, Ariel and Mickey Mouse.
Famous Disney princess voices Jodi Benson (Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”), Paige O’Hara (Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”), Linda Larkin (Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin”), Ming-Na Wen (Fa Mulan in “Mulan”) and Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog”) took to the stage to pay tribute to Heng.