Disney spotlights Susan Egan as it prepares its D23 finale and Disney Legends honors

The Walt Disney Company is using the final day of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa to celebrate a slate of icons, including Susan Egan, one of 13 honorees receiving its highest honor, the Disney Legends Awards. In an exclusive question-and-answer released ahead of the ceremony, Egan, who is being recognized in the Voice category, discussed what the recognition means to her and how her career has stayed connected to Disney’s creative legacy.

Disney says this year’s Disney Legends Awards will honor 13 individuals across entertainment, storytelling, and experiences. The list includes 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. The Disney Legends ceremony will mark the final day of D23, a multi-day fan experience the company describes as highlighting creative storytelling and innovation.

Egan, best known to Disney audiences for her voice work and to Broadway audiences for her stage performances, said being named a Disney Legend feels “completely humbling.” She also described the honor as a continuation of her long association with Disney projects, saying she already felt a sense of achievement after being part of “so many of these projects over the last 30 years.”

Asked about her earliest Disney memories, Egan looked back on growing up in Southern California and noted that she did not have today’s streaming “on demand” access. She described the era when Disney rereleased films periodically and said she loved Cinderella as a child, including owning a 45 rpm Cinderella record. That nostalgia became personal when she reflected on her later role playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, where she said she wore a dress “eight shows a week” and became emotional when she thought about imagining such a moment as a child.

Egan also tied her experience as the original Belle on Broadway to the sense of live storytelling that defines both Disney’s animated roots and its stage productions. She recalled that when she moved to New York City, her reaction to Times Square felt similar to Belle’s reaction to the enchanted castle, and she credited her co-stars and production team as key role models while she learned the craft. The company noted that her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress.

Her Q&A further addressed why she believes certain Disney characters develop enduring followings. Egan pointed to Megara from Hercules, describing the character as “spicy” and as someone who, in her view, is not a typical “Disney Princess,” a distinction she said fans often remind her of. She attributed the cult appeal to Megara’s humanity, including her mistakes and her capacity to change, and she also credited the Hercules writing by John Musker and Ron Clements as contributing to the character’s lasting resonance.

Beyond her voice roles, Egan discussed an aspect of Disney’s business that is less visible to audiences: the production of live events built around Disney music and archival film moments. She said producing Disney concerts and events has been rewarding because Disney has “allow[ed her] to grow” and given her the space to create behind the scenes with Disney Concerts, where she helps build live events around the world. She described these performances as sometimes featuring full orchestras and singers, and she said she has traveled extensively, including across Asia, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and multiple U.S. trips.

One specific Disney-linked milestone highlighted in the conversation is Egan’s role connected to the Disney Destiny, a themed ship she described as having heroes-and-villains programming. Egan said she received a phone call about being named a godmother of the ship and described the announcement as an emotional moment. She said she understands the honor’s rarity, adding that she has been on every Disney ship that has been part of the same kind of designation for the past 25 years. She also connected the ship’s identity to her own work, noting that it features “Café Megara” and includes a live-action stage production of Hercules.

In closing, Egan framed Disney as a long-term creative platform rather than a single chapter in a performer’s career. She said the Disney animated “renaissance” happened while she was in college, and she described being thrilled first as a fan and later as an artist participating in those film celebrations. She added that her current work, including introducing new talent into the “family” of performers and creators tied to Disney, makes the legacy feel ongoing. She also said Disney’s reach is strengthened by live performance, where music and characters create a shared experience for audiences across generations.

The company’s release centers on ceremony and personal reflection, not on business metrics. It does not quantify event attendance, entertainment segment revenue, or travel impacts tied to the Disney Legends program and D23 schedule. That means there is limited visibility into how these fan-facing moments translate to measurable financial outcomes, beyond their role in reinforcing Disney’s brand and talent pipeline.