Fez — Anne Hathaway has officially become a Disney Legend, receiving the company’s highest honor on August 16, during the closing day of D23 in Anaheim, California.
The recognition had been in the works for months. On March 26, Disney announced Hathaway as a member of its 2026 Legends class, naming her among performers, creators, and executives whose work has made a lasting impact on the company and its audiences.
Hathaway was emotional accepting the award after “The Devil Wears Prada 2” director David Frankel introduced her onstage. Vogue editor Anna Wintour also appeared in a video tribute.
“I am here today because I’m one of the most insanely lucky people in the world,” Hathaway said, according to Variety.
Hathaway paid tribute to the late director Garry Marshall, who selected her for “The Princess Diaries,” as well as producers Debra Martin Chase and Whitney Houston.
She also reflected on working with Julie Andrews when she was still a teenager, crediting the veteran actress with showing her how kindness, patience, humor, and hard work could coexist in a successful career.
Why Disney named Hathaway a Legend
The reason stretches back to 2001, when Hathaway made her big-screen breakthrough as Mia Thermopolis in Disney’s “The Princess Diaries.”
Disney’s official D23 profile describes the role as the beginning of Hathaway’s Disney career and one that established her Hollywood roots with audiences around the world.
She returned for “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” in 2004.
Her Disney credits later expanded when she played the White Queen in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010 and reprised the character in “Alice Through the Looking Glass” in 2016.
Disney also recognized her wider body of work across studios now owned by the company.
The timing of the honor carries particular significance. “The Princess Diaries” arrived in theaters in August 2001, meaning Hathaway’s Disney Legends induction comes 25 years after audiences first saw her as the teenage heir to the fictional kingdom of Genovia.
Hathaway joined a 2026 Disney Legends class that included Dwayne Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Jonas Brothers, Alan Tudyk, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Chris Berman, Kim Irvine, and Bob Iger. Disney said the 11 honorees represent contributions spanning film, television, sports, animation, Imagineering, and leadership.
The honor also arrives during a major commercial year for Hathaway. Variety reported that films featuring the actress have collectively crossed $2 billion at the worldwide box office in 2026, led by “The Odyssey” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
Still, the Disney Legends recognition looks further back than one successful year. It formally places Hathaway among the figures Disney credits with shaping its cultural legacy, 25 years after one princess role changed the direction of her career.
