Angela Bassett, James Cameron and more honored as Disney Legends

Disney’s splashy Legends ceremony brought a parade of A-listers to Anaheim’s Honda Center on Sunday night during the closing of the Mouse House’s D23 Expo.

The Disney’s Legends Awards program is a hall of fame for individuals who have made a significant impact on the Disney legacy. Previous honorees include Christina Aguilera, Stan Lee, Betty White and Oprah Winfrey.

Angela Bassett was recognized for her three decades of work with Disney, including her role in Touchstone’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” the retelling of National Geographic’s The Flood and the Disney+ docuseries “The Imagineering Story,” and, most recently, her Oscar-nominated performance as 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. “It’s really a gift to watch her and what she does,” he said, telling the audience how she led his cast after the loss of lead actor Chadwick Boseman. ‘She’s incredible. She has been incredible for decades.”

Bassett commented, “From day one in my pursuit of a career as an actress, I have understood that I am part of something bigger than myself. I express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey.” She added, “I am forever proud to be your wife, your mother, your sister and yours aunt.”

“Titanic” director James Cameron was also among the winners, recognized for his work on the “Avatar” film franchise, for which he is currently in post-production on the third entry, with a planned fourth and fifth in pre-production. He is also behind 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 also produced National Geographic’s OceanXplorers series, which will be released in Fall 2024.

“Titanic” star Kate Winslet appeared via video message and said, “Dear Jim, you continue to strive for greater heights, which I’m not sure anyone but you will ever achieve. The power of your imagination continues to inspire us all.” She introduced “Avatar” actor Zoe Saldana, who presented Cameron with his award.

“I thank you for giving me the best gift a director can give an actor: job security. I’m going to collect my pension by the time the last ‘Avatar’ movie hits theaters,” Saldana said with a laugh. “It’s been a wild ride working with you. Your passion, your dedication and your eye for detail are truly unparalleled. But most of all, I thank you for making me laugh, for making me cry, and for making me sad.

“As a storyteller expressing himself through film, it is not a solo act. You are only as good as the artists you can gather around you,” Cameron said in his speech. “I know that my job every day, when I come in, is to empower and encourage the other artists, whether they’re actors, whether they’re design or concept artists, computer animators, to inspire them to work every day to bring out their best artistic selves. single day. That is my job.”

Cameron also took a moment to honor production partner Jon Landau, who passed away last month. “There is one person that stands out in my mind right now as I stand here, and that is my production partner of 30 years, John Landau. All of us in the ‘Avatar’ family miss him dearly. Our goal is to continue his legacy as the unsung Disney legend himself.”

The evening’s host, Ryan Seacrest, presented the Disney Legend Award to his longtime co-host, Kelly Ripa. “There is no better storyteller than Kelly Ripa,” he said. “She is the best at what she does to make people feel comfortable”

Ripa started her career as an actor in the soap opera ‘All My Children’ and the sitcom ‘Hope & Faith’. She is best known for her work on morning television as co-host of ABC’s “Live,” where she has appeared since 2001.

Ripa told her friend 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 “hot” husband Mark Conseulos with some R-rated jokes, adding, “We met 30 years ago on the set of ‘All My Children,’ and from there we made our own three kids backstage . in Disney laboratories. I’m kidding! We made them in our dressing rooms. I’m joking again. I’m joking again: HR asked me to remind everyone.’

Bassett, Cameron and Ripa were joined by fellow Disney Legend honorees Jamie Lee Curtis, James L. Brooks, Harrison Ford, Frank Oz, John Williams, 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 Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster’s introduction of Curtis, Cyrus’ love letter to “Hannah Montana” and Ford’s emotional acceptance speech.