This year, in D23 ExpoNumerous stars have been honored with Disney Legend Awards and selected as members of the Class of 2024.
The winners were some of the biggest names in the House of Mouse, including Angela BassettJames L. Brooks, James Cameron, Kelly Ripa, Jamie Lee Curtismiley cyrus, Harrison FordFrank Oz and John Williams, among others.
The Economic Times’ Cassie DiLaura attended the event at Honda Center in Anaheim and spoke with several of the night’s honorees about the lavish celebration.
In an interview with Curtis, the actress reflected on the musical speech she gave when she won the award at the fair’s gala.
“I was trying to recite the lyrics to the song ‘Carousel of Progress,’ which was written by Disney legends the Sherman Brothers,” Curtis explained. “It has been wowing park visitors for nearly sixty years.”
“When I was a little kid, the carousel of progress blew my mind,” Curtis added. “Today, we’re going to look at that animatronic thing, it’s a little rough, but this song is like [earworm]it gets into your head.
ET also caught up with Ripa, who was thrilled to be a part of such a momentous honor.
“I never thought I had imposter syndrome until I was standing there and you were looking at Harrison Ford and Angela Bassett and everybody,” Ripa shared. “This is beyond my wildest dreams.”
As Ripa explains, Disney “gave me everything.”
“My job, of course, but my husband, my kids, everything!” she added. “Everything comes from Disney.”
Meanwhile, Bassett explained how the event — and seeing yourself and other honorees recognized — can be deeply moving.
“You know, you get a little lump in your throat and your eyes get a little stuck in seeing other people’s journeys and how inspiring they are to you,” Bassett shared. “Yeah, you’re a little overwhelmed.”
“You think, ‘Oh my god, how can I stand with them?’ and then you see your life projected on the screen and you’re like, ‘Okay, okay, I did it,'” she added. “Forget about it now and go to work tomorrow.”
One of the most iconic stars known as Disney legends is iconic puppeteer, actor and filmmaker Frank Oz, best known for his work with Muppets performing with his puppets Star Wars series, best known for his work as Yoda.
“Well, you know, I’m just a regular guy,” Oz told ET on Sunday. “After this, I’ll take my tie off and I’ll, you know, put on my pajamas and have a bowl of cereal. “
“So I, you know, I’m not doing this for legends or awards or anything like that, I’m doing it because I love what I do,” Oz added. “So when you get something like this, it’s hard to deal with.”
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