Disney’s D23 sets stage for Disney Legends Day, with Animation icon Eric Goldberg spotlighted

Disney is using the final day of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa to wrap an extended tribute to the creative people behind the company’s biggest stories. The program culminates in a Disney Legends Award ceremony that The Walt Disney Company says will mark the end of this year’s multi-day fan event, which is framed as a showcase for creative storytelling and innovation across Disney’s worlds.

The company’s top honor, the Disney Legends Awards, will be presented to 13 individuals, spanning film, television, animation, music, and entertainment. Among this year’s honorees are Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk, according to the company’s announcement and interview material.

In an exclusive Q&A released ahead of the ceremony, Eric Goldberg, recognized in the Animation category, spoke about what the recognition means to him and how his career began with classic Disney films. He said he feels “very flattered and humbled” to be included on “a rare list of luminaries,” and described the experience as both moving and meaningful to share space with people he admires.

When asked which Disney films inspired him to become an animator, Goldberg pointed to Dumbo as the first Disney movie he ever saw and said it remains his favorite. He also referenced the theater-era releases of Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, and The Jungle Book, saying he saw them “numerous times,” in describing how early exposure shaped his lasting connection to the art.

Goldberg also discussed the mentors and collaborators he credits for influencing his approach to animation. He highlighted Ward Kimball and Freddie Moore, describing their animation as feeling like it was “enjoying itself on the screen.” He singled out Mary Blair as his benchmark, calling her “the greatest animation designer ever,” and positioning her work as a standard for expressive design.

The interview turns to one of Goldberg’s best-known contributions: the Genie in Aladdin. Goldberg said the character’s uniqueness is closely tied to Robin Williams, describing Williams as both hysterically funny and warm and sincere, and attributing part of the Genie’s distinctive feel to what he called Williams’ actor abilities. He said he worked to develop movement for the character, including lightning-quick attitude changes and the physical ability to mime whoever the Genie was imitating, aimed at creating what he described as “puff-of-smoke flexibility.”

On a personal note, Goldberg was asked which character or film he holds most dear, and he responded with the Genie, while also naming other favorites. He cited Phil, Louis, Mini Maui, and the “Rhapsody in Blue” characters, plus a flamingo character associated with a yo-yo, along with additional references, framing his attachment less around one single title and more around the specific personalities created for animated storytelling.

Goldberg also addressed how he moved across roles in filmmaking, including directing Pocahontas alongside Mike Gabriel and working on segments for Fantasia/2000. He said he did not view these shifts as “branching out,” describing his perspective as that directing always underlies his work, whether directing animators on a feature or directing commercials in the UK. He characterized feature directing as similar in duties but expanded in scale, describing “the canvas” as getting bigger.

In discussing the broader animation craft, Goldberg tied his role as head of hand-drawn animation to mentoring the next generation. He said he and colleagues feel they must pass on what they know to future artists, arguing that the hand-drawn medium must be kept alive. Goldberg described animation’s flexibility in terms of creative possibility, while also emphasizing the believability and exuberance of strong animated performances, and ended by saying he is, in his words, “a geek on the stuff,” pointing to the passion that animates the work itself.

The Disney Legends Awards program is presented by The Walt Disney Company as a 39-year tradition, beginning with Fred MacMurray’s recognition in 1987. The company adds that, including this year’s honorees, 329 Disney Legends have now been named. It also lists a set of past recipients spanning decades and media, including Robin Williams, Alan Menken, Angela Lansbury, Tony Baxter, and others, underscoring that the awards are intended as a broad historical ledger of talent rather than a narrow genre-specific honor.

Some details about how D23’s final-day ceremony will unfold, including the specific segment order, exact timing, or any additional guest appearances beyond what is named, were not included in the material released for this interview. The company’s announcement focuses on the honorees and the conversation itself, leaving room for future updates around the ceremony format and how audiences will access tributes during D23.

What to watch next is how the ceremony connects its fan-facing event format to the company’s internal celebration of legacy craft. With the Disney Legends list spanning executives, performers, creators, and legacy builders, the D23 finale is likely to function as both a public recognition moment and a branding announcement about where Disney says it is investing in storytelling and creative excellence across animation and beyond.