Oscar-winning actor Anne Hathaway has officially been inducted as a Disney Legend, joining an illustrious group of performers, creators and industry figures honoured for their contributions to the company, writes Variety.
Hathaway received the honour on Sunday afternoon during D23, Disney’s flagship fan event in Anaheim. She was introduced by The Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel and Vogue editor Anna Wintour before receiving a standing ovation.
“I am here today because I’m one of the most insanely lucky people in the world,” Hathaway said during her acceptance speech.
The honour comes 25 years after Hathaway made her big-screen debut as Mia Thermopolis in Disney’s The Princess Diaries, released in 2001.
The role established her as a star and began her long association with Disney.
Hathaway paid tribute to the late director Garry Marshall, who cast her as the Genovian princess, as well as producers Debra Martin Chase and the late Whitney Houston.
She also recalled working with Julie Andrews, who played Queen Clarisse Renaldi in The Princess Diaries.
“How lucky am I that my first studio picture ever starred perhaps the greatest Disney Legend of all time, the incomparable Julie Andrews,” Hathaway said.
She added that Andrews taught her the value of “kindness, patience, friendliness, graciousness, good humour and hard work”.
Hathaway’s Disney legacy also includes her role as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada.
The actor recently reprised the character in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which has earned more than $690 million worldwide, pushing the franchise beyond the $1 billion mark.
Frankel, who presented Hathaway with the honour, recalled that the studio had initially considered another actor for the role of Andy Sachs.
He credited Meryl Streep with recognising Hathaway’s potential after seeing her performance in Brokeback Mountain.
“Thank God for Meryl Streep,” Frankel said. “She saw Annie’s performance in Brokeback Mountain and said, ‘Yeah, this girl.’ Game recognises game.”
Wintour also appeared in a video tribute, praising Hathaway’s work ethic, versatility and kindness.
Joining Hathaway in the Disney Legends class of 2026 are former Disney CEO Bob Iger, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alan Tudyk, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, sportscaster Chris Berman, animator Eric Goldberg, Imagineer Kim Irvine and actor Susan Egan.
The ceremony marked Hathaway’s second appearance at D23 this weekend.
She had made a surprise appearance at Friday’s Disney Entertainment Showcase to share an update on The Princess Diaries 3, which is expected to continue Mia’s story rather than reboot the franchise.
Hathaway is also having a particularly successful year at the box office. She has appeared in five films in 2026, including Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Mother Mary, The End of Oak Street and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Her fifth release of the year, Verity, is scheduled to arrive on 2 October.
Reflecting on her success, Hathaway said she feels “incredibly fortunate” to have worked across such a wide variety of films in a single year.
