Anne Hathaway became an official Disney Legend on Sunday afternoon during D23, the company's weekend-long fan event. She was introduced to the stage by Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and received a massive round of applause.
"I am here today because I'm one of the most insanely lucky people in the world," Hathaway said after taking the stage. Her husband Adam Shulman and their two sons, Jonathan and Jack, joined her for the ceremony. She also pointed out her parents in the audience.
According to Variety, the honor came 25 years after Hathaway made her big-screen debut as Mia Thermopolis in Disney's The Princess Diaries, which hit theaters on August 3, 2001. Her career with the studio continued with 2004's The Devil Wears Prada, where she played Andy Sachs, an assistant to the boss from hell at the glossy fashion magazine Runway. She reprised that role earlier this year in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which grossed more than $690 million worldwide, bringing the franchise total above the $1 billion mark.
Her list of thank-yous at the ceremony included the late Garry Marshall, who cast her as the Genovian princess-to-be, as well as producer Debra Martin Chase and the late Whitney Houston, who produced The Princess Diaries, a film once called The Princess of Tribeca.
"I'm so lucky that my first booking led to so many opportunities when I was still so young, [like] getting a job that a million girls were built for in the 'The Devil Wears Prada,'" Hathaway said. "I got to be with Stanley Tucci. I got to be with Emily Blunt. I got to be with um…oh what's her name." She paused, pretending to forget Meryl Streep's name, drawing laughs from the crowd.
She closed with a reflection on her career as a whole. "I've gotten to spend my life so far, doing what I love, having so many adventures along the way, knowing joy and valuing the extraordinary good fortune that allows me to share my life with my greatest blessing — a family I couldn't love more," she said.
Frankel told the crowd that the studio originally wanted another actress for the Devil Wears Prada role. "Thank God for Meryl Streep," he said. "She saw Annie's performance in 'Brokeback Mountain' and said, 'Yeah, this girl.' Game recognizes game."
Wintour appeared via video to pay tribute. "Over the years, I've gotten to know Anne as an ideal front row companion, as well as a perfect theater date," Wintour said. "But I recently had the chance to do a small comedy routine with her at the Oscars. Which, I confess, was a little like stepping onto the dance floor with Fred Astaire. Fortunately, Anne made it incredibly easy for me, which is something she seems to do for everyone, at every time."
D23 also brought major news for Disney parks. According to reports from USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter, and multiple outlets, Disneyland's Tomorrowland is set to be reimagined, with new rides announced as part of the overhaul. Disney's experiences chief addressed the plans publicly at the event, confirming the scope of the refresh.
