Bob Iger received the Disney Legends award at this year’s D23 ceremony, becoming the first executive in company history to earn the honor, according to Disney insiders. The 75-year-old joins Disney’s 2026 Legends class, which also includes actor Anne Hathaway and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. D23, Disney’s official fan club, hosts the ceremony to honor people who shaped the company’s film, television and theme park businesses.
Josh D’Amaro, who became Disney CEO in March, introduced Iger at the event. Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford, Ellen Pompeo and Diane Sawyer also took the stage to honor him and reflect on his decades at the company.
Colleagues honor Iger’s tenure at Disney
D’Amaro, presenting the Disney Legends award, credited Iger’s character as much as his record. “What I’ve always admired the most about Bob is not necessarily what he’s accomplished; it is who he is,” D’Amaro said. “He leans with integrity. He leans with optimism. He treats everyone with respect, and he cares deeply about people, about Disney, and about the stories that we share in the whole world.”
Downey Jr. built his tribute around a single line. “Fortune favors the brave,” he said. “To me, those four words explain Mr. Iger’s primary quality: it’s courage. It’s the bold choices in the face of incredible risk, trusting your instincts, empowering people to aspire beyond their limitations.”
Accepting the award, Iger pointed to the people he worked with over the years. “It’s not lost on me; I’m the executive in the room,” he said. “What executives typically do is they sign checks and they turn the lights on in the morning. I usually make coffee. But more than anything else, we’re around to support creators, the true talent that drives this company forward.”
He named producer Jerry Bruckheimer and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda among those he credited, along with actors Dwayne Johnson and Anne Hathaway.
The Disney Legends award caps a five-decade run
Iger’s history with the company goes back to 1974, when he started as a runner at ABC. He rose to programming head and CEO of the network by 1996, the same year Disney acquired ABC and its parent, Capital Cities. He was named CEO of the Walt Disney Company in 2005, succeeding Michael Eisner, then led acquisitions of Pixar in 2006, Marvel in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012.
Iger stepped down as CEO in 2021 after an extension tied to the pandemic. His successor, Bob Chapek, was ousted in 2022, and Iger returned to the role. He resigned again at the start of 2026, handing the job to D’Amaro.
Iger will remain a senior advisor and board member through the end of the year as D’Amaro settles into the role Iger held for most of the past two decades.