Article: The D23 Expo Honors Eight New Disney Legends At Their Special Awards Ceremony 8/14/15!

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Susan Lucci, George Lucas, Danny Elfman, George Bodenheimer, Andreas Deja, Eyvind Earle, Julie Reihm Casaletto, and Carson Van Osten – eight iconic names and eight spectacular and profound individuals who will be honored as Disney Legends at this year’s renowned and prestigious Disney D23 Expo! The extraordinary D23 Expo is the ultimate fan event for Disney lovers and what better place to celebrate individuals who have contributed so much to the Disney legacy than at a three-day event that celebrates all things Disney? On Friday, August 14, 2015 at the D23 Expo held at the Anaheim Convention Center, the aforementioned eight individuals will be honored as Disney Legends in the special award ceremony hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger at 10:00 AM at the Hall D23.

As part of the unforgettable, extraordinary and magical award ceremony, the eight Disney Legends will each be awarded two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that celebrates the magic and creativity they have each brought to the Disney company. The eight Disney Legends will also take part in a handprint ceremony where their bronze handprints will later be viewed at the Disney Legends Plaza at Disney’s Burbank headquarters. Susan Lucci, George Lucas, Danny Elfman, George Bondenheimer, Andreas Deja, Eyvind Earle, Julie Reihm Casaletto, and Carson Van Osten will be joining other Disney Legends including, “Tim Allen, Robin Williams, Julie Andrews, Howard Ashman, Regis Philbin, Annette Funicello, Peter Jennings, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Alan Menken, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker, Sir Tim Rice, Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Walters.  With the inaugural D23 EXPO in 2009, thousands of Disney fans were able to enjoy the Legends Awards ceremony for the first time. Honorees that year included Robin Williams, Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Harry Archinal, Don Iwerks, and Leota Toombs Thomas.” (source: press release).

Bob Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company stated, “The Disney Legend Award is our highest honor, and we are incredibly proud to recognize these eight talented individuals who have contributed so much to the world of entertainment and the Disney legacy. Their vision and dedication to their work have brought joy to audiences around the globe and earned them a place in Disney history.” (source: press release).

According to the press release, “The Disney Legends Awards program is a 28-year tradition of The Walt Disney Company, and the first Disney Legend was Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy DogThe Absent-Minded ProfessorThe Happiest Millionaire), who was honored in 1987. ”

D23 Expo attendees are welcome to attend this memorable and outstanding event and admission will be on a first come, first serve basis. There will also be special musical performances at the ceremony.

Take a look below at more information regarding the eight Disney Legends! A big congratulations to the Disney Legends on this remarkable honor and all their phenomenal work they have contributed to the Disney family! Don’t miss out on the D23 Expo – a historic and legendary three-day event and get your tickets at http://www.D23Expo.com!

(source: press release):

GEORGE BODENHEIMER, who retired from his role as Executive Chairman of ESPN in May 2014, enjoyed a remarkable 33-year career that began in the company’s mailroom in 1981. Working his way through the ranks, he became executive vice president of sales and marketing in 1996, before being named the network’s fifth president in 1998. He held that role until 2012, when he stepped down from day-to-day operations.

 

ANDREAS DEJA is a link to Disney’s past and one of the greatest animators of its modern era. Deja is known for his rich portraits of villainy, having animated Gaston for Beauty and the Beast, Jafar for Aladdin, and Scar for The Lion King. He has also brought life to heroes such as mighty Hercules, the precocious Lilo (Lilo & Stitch), regal King Triton (The Little Mermaid), wise Mama Odie (The Princess and the Frog), and loveable Tigger (Winnie the Pooh). In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Winsor McCay Award for his contributions to the art of animation.

 

EYVIND EARLE, one of the greatest of Disney artists, brought his unique style to a number of memorable projects but perhaps the purest realization of his vision remains the visual styling and backgrounds for the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Earle’s career with Disney began in 1951, working on background artwork for Peter Pan. He created the look of the 1953 animated short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, which won an Academy Award® for Best Short Subject, Cartoons in 1954. His most noticeable contribution, however, remains his work on Sleeping Beauty. The film’s eye-catching look, in its design and backgrounds, are the perfect representation of his unique style.

 

DANNY ELFMAN provided the songs and score for The Nightmare Before Christmas, for which he also provided the singing voice of Jack Skellington. He also scored several Disney films including Alice in Wonderland, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dick Tracy, Dead PresidentsFlubberGood Will Hunting (Oscar® Nomination: Best Score), A Civil Action, InstinctFrankenweenie, and Oz the Great and Powerful. Elfman also wrote the theme for ABC’s Desperate Housewives and penned the music for the Mystic Manor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. His music is featured in Disneyland’s annual Haunted Mansion Holiday. His upcoming Disney projects include Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass.

 

GEORGE LUCAS, whose Star Wars films made him one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, is also a longtime Disney fan who has left an indelible impression on Disney parks. His first project with Disney was Captain EO, the 1986 3-D spectacular starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, as well as Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril in Disneyland Paris, and two blockbuster Indiana Jones Adventure attractions at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea round out Lucas’ timeless work in conjunction with Disney.

 

SUSAN LUCCI portrayed Erica Kane on ABC’s fabled soap opera All My Children for 41 years, a role that TV Guide deemed unequivocally the most famous character in the history of daytime television, earning Lucci 21 Daytime Emmy® nominations to which she won the prestigious Emmy for Best Actress to an industry-wide standing ovation on her 19th nomination. Shortly thereafter, she received her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, presented to her by Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. The iconic actress has also appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Hope & Faith, as well as Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. Lucci currently stars in the international hit Lifetime series, Devious Maids, produced by ABC Studios, as the wealthy and effervescent socialite, Genevieve Delatour.

 

JULIE REIHM CASALETTO, who began her Disney career as a tour guide, became Disneyland’s first Ambassador in 1965—a role created to help Walt, who found it increasingly difficult to attend all the events to which he was invited. As Disneyland’s first Ambassador, she was chosen “as a personification of Disneyland’s world-famous spirit of friendliness and happiness.” She became the template upon which decades of Ambassadors would pattern themselves.

 

CARSON VAN OSTEN helped bring Disney characters to life in a variety of media, all around the world, for three decades. During Van Osten’s tenure, he oversaw creative content for motion picture tie-in advertising, many Disney publications, and also established some of the first licensing style guides for Disney Consumer Products. The talented artist designed logos for Mickey Mouse’s 50th and 60th birthdays, the Walt Disney Studios logo and water tower design, and the Disneyland Hotel clock tower “Mickey” logo in Paris.

Follow the D23 Expo on Twitter and Facebook: @DisneyD23

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