Dwayne Johnson, Jonas Brothers, Bob Iger Lead Disney Legends Class of 2026

The Walt Disney Company has announced its Disney Legends Class of 2026, naming 12 individuals whose contributions span the breadth of the company’s empire, from the executive boardroom to the animated screen and the gridiron of ESPN.

Former Chairman and CEO Bob Iger headlines the prestigious list, recognized for his two decades of leadership that saw the company’s massive expansion through key acquisitions and creative shifts. He is joined by modern cinematic powerhouses Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Anne Hathaway, as well as prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. PT at the Honda Center. The event will serve as the grand finale of “D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event,” a three-day convention presented by Visa.

The 2026 honorees represent a diverse cross-section of the Disney portfolio:

• Performance & Music: Actors Susan Egan, Alan Tudyk, and the Jonas Brothers join songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda in this year’s class.
• Artistry & Imagineering: Animator Eric Goldberg, known for his work on Aladdin, and longtime Walt Disney Imagineering executive Kim Irvine are being recognized for their roles in visual and physical storytelling.
• Sports & Production: Broadcasting pioneer Chris Berman represents ESPN’s influence, while Jerry Bruckheimer is honored for his decades of blockbuster film production.

“It’s an honor to celebrate our Disney Legends — their impact is felt in everything we do,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. D’Amaro noted that the D23 event serves as a bridge between the company’s future roadmap and the legacy of the creators who “shaped Disney into what it is today.”

Emmy-winning host Ryan Seacrest will return to moderate the ceremony. For fans unable to attend the Anaheim event in person, Disney confirmed the ceremony will be streamed globally on Disney+.

The Disney Legends Award is a 39-year tradition, established in 1987 with its first inductee, Fred MacMurray. With the addition of the 2026 class, the total number of Legends will rise to 329. The group joins a roster of past recipients that includes icons such as Steve Jobs, Julie Andrews, Stan Lee, and Oprah Winfrey.

Here is a closer look at this year’s class:

CHRIS BERMAN

Since hiring a 24-year-old Chris Berman in 1979, ESPN and its star broadcaster have grown into industry legends. Berman helped define the network’s tone while covering the NFL Draft, World Series, and the U.S. Open. A six-time National Sportscaster of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, he famously anchored NFL PrimeTime alongside Tom Jackson for a record 29 years. Fittingly, ESPN’s Bristol studio now bears his name, and Berman is slated to lead the network’s first-ever Super Bowl coverage in 2027.

JERRY BRUCKHEIMER

Academy Award-nominated Jerry Bruckheimer is the most successful producer of all time, with a 50-year career spanning nearly $15 billion in global box office. His legendary credits include the Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys, and Beverly Hills Cop franchises, along with hits like Black Hawk Down and Flashdance. Recent blockbusters F1 and Top Gun: Maverick shattered records, with the latter grossing nearly $1.5 billion and earning a Best Picture nomination.

Bruckheimer is equally dominant in television, producing over 2,000 hours of content. His current “Bruckheimer Fridays” block on CBS features Fire Country, Sheriff Country, and Boston Blue, while the ten-time Emmy-winning The Amazing Race enters its 39th season. His productions have earned countless honors, including Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys.

SUSAN EGAN

A multitalented performer and producer, Susan Egan holds a unique place in Disney history as the original Broadway Belle in Beauty and the Beast and the voice of Megara in Hercules (1997). Her career spans numerous Broadway roles and vocal performances in Disney classics like Spirited Away, Lady and the Tramp II, and Amphibia.

Beyond the stage, Egan is a prolific executive producer of global concert events through 10th & Main Productions. Her work includes Disney Princess – The Concert, which has toured 20 countries, and various signature series for Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club. In November 2025, she was named the Official Godmother of the Disney Destiny, a ship featuring spaces inspired by her legendary roles, including Café Megara.

ERIC GOLDBERG

A legendary animator, designer, and director, Eric Goldberg has shaped some of Disney’s most iconic characters. After starting his career in the 1970s and running his own studio, Goldberg joined Disney to design and animate the Genie in Aladdin (1992), creating a masterclass in “quicksilver” shape-shifting animation. He went on to co-direct Pocahontas(1995) and served as supervising animator for Phil in Hercules (1997) and Louis in The Princess and the Frog (2009).

Goldberg is also a pioneer in blending traditional techniques with modern media, overseeing hand-drawn elements like “Mini Maui” in the Moana films. Recently, he served as head of hand-drawn animation for the Emmy-winning short Once Upon a Studio (2023) and directed the 2025 Hot Ones episode featuring Donald Duck. Today, he continues to preserve Disney’s legacy by supervising the restorations of classics like Snow White and Cinderella.

ANNE HATHAWAY

A veteran of stage and screen, Anne Hathaway has left an indelible impact on popular culture, from the fictitious realms of Genovia to the high-fashion offices of New York. Her Disney career launched with her breakout role as Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries (2001) and its 2004 sequel. She later portrayed the White Queen in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), and voiced Haru in the English dub of Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns.

Hathaway’s diverse credits also include Ella Enchanted, The Simpsons, and the Rio franchise. An acclaimed performer, she has received Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy, and BAFTA awards. Looking ahead, she is set to reprise her iconic role as Andy Sachs in the highly anticipated The Devil Wears Prada 2, scheduled for release in May 2026.

BOB IGER

A consequential business leader, Bob Iger led The Walt Disney Company for two decades, transforming the industry through the strategic acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. Under his leadership, Disney launched Disney+ and opened the landmark Shanghai Disney Resort, while overseeing more than 30 films that each grossed over $1 billion. Iger’s 50-year career began at ABC in 1974, eventually rising to become Disney’s CEO in 2005 and Chairman in 2012.

Throughout his tenure, Iger focused on creative excellence, technological innovation, and global expansion. After briefly serving as Executive Chairman, he returned as CEO in 2022 to lead the company until March 2026. He is also the author of the best-selling memoir The Ride of a Lifetime, which details his strategic vision and lessons learned from a career that established the blueprint for Disney’s modern international growth.

KIM IRVINE

In a 55-year career at Walt Disney Imagineering, Kim Irvine established an enduring creative legacy, particularly at Disneyland. Retiring in 2024 as Executive Creative Director, she oversaw concept design and color styling for most Anaheim resort projects. A second-generation Imagineer, Kim followed her mother, Disney Legend Leota Toombs, even appearing as the face of Madame Leota for the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.

Starting in 1970 as a model builder, Irvine’s vast portfolio includes “it’s a small world,” the Disneyland Dream Suite, and the remodeling of Club 33. She provided constant design supervision for the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle and was instrumental in opening Imagineering’s first Anaheim office. In 2011, she became the first woman to receive the prestigious Buzz Price Thea Award for Lifetime Achievement.

DWAYNE JOHNSON

Dwayne Johnson’s career is a masterclass in reinvention, evolving from a struggling athlete with “seven bucks” to his name into the world’s most successful professional wrestler and Hollywood’s highest-paid leading man. As a top-five global box-office star, his films have grossed over $15 billion, driven by hit franchises like Fast & Furious, Jumanji, and Disney’s Moana. Beyond acting, Johnson is a prolific producer through Seven Bucks Productions and a New York Timesbestselling author.

Recently, Johnson has pivoted toward transformative dramatic roles, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. His upcoming slate remains ambitious, including a surreal turn in Lizard Music, a psychological thriller with Darren Aronofsky, and a highly anticipated collaboration with Martin Scorsese. In summer 2026, he will further expand his Disney legacy by reinventing his role as Maui in the live-action adaptation of Moana.

THE JONAS BROTHERS

Formed in 2005, New Jersey natives Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas became global pop icons and Disney Channel stars through the Camp Rock franchise and their series JONAS. After a string of multi-platinum albums and successful solo ventures—including Nick’s solo hits, Joe’s band DNCE, and Kevin’s debut single—the brothers staged a massive comeback in 2019 with the hit “Sucker.” Their enduring legacy was recently cemented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a 2025 hand-and-footprint ceremony.

The group celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2025 with the milestone “JONASCON” event for 75,000 fans and the release of A Very Jonas Christmas Movie on Disney+. Their latest era includes the album Greetings from Your Hometownand a stadium tour that launched at MetLife Stadium. Looking ahead, the Jonas Brothers are returning to their Disney roots for the highly anticipated Camp Rock 3. As Kevin joked of their return, “Still no birdhouse.”

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

A modern-day Renaissance man, Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has redefined the American musical on stage and screen. After rising to fame with Hamilton and In the Heights, Miranda began a prolific Disney partnership by composing the soundtrack for Moana (2016), earning a Grammy and an Oscar nomination for “How Far I’ll Go.” He continues this collaboration as a producer and songwriter for the live-action Moana reimagining, premiering in theaters this summer.

Miranda’s musical influence reached new heights with Encanto, where his chart-topping soundtrack led to him being named Billboard’s top songwriter of 2022. The hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” spent five weeks at No. 1, further cementing his legacy alongside projects like Mary Poppins Returns, The Little Mermaid, and Mufasa: The Lion King. His extensive Disney credits also span the Star Wars franchise, DuckTales, and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series on Disney+.

ALAN TUDYK

Alan Tudyk is the versatile “good luck charm” of modern Disney animation, having voiced a character in every feature film since his Ed Wynn-inspired turn as King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph (2012). His eclectic credits range from the villainous Duke of Weselton in Frozen to the suave baby goat Valentino in Wish. Tudyk is equally famous for his unique animal performances, providing the sounds for fan favorites like Heihei in Moana, Tuk Tuk in Raya and the Last Dragon, and the toucan in Encanto.

Beyond traditional animation, Tudyk brought the droid K-2SO to life through voice and motion capture in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and portrayed the robot Sonny in I, Robot. His extensive Disney footprint also includes roles in Zootopia 2, Strange World, and various Disney+ series like Monsters at Work. Whether playing a skittish rooster or a high-tech droid, Tudyk’s vocal range has become a staple of the Disney and 20th Century Studios landscape.