The late Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are to be honoured with the Disney Legends Award this year at the D23 Expo.
The two ‘Star Wars’ actors are to be recognised by the company for their roles as siblings Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia respectively in the sci-fi saga which began in 1977 and which Disney purchased the rights of from George Lucas in 2012 when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012.
The ceremony will be hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger on Friday July 14 and Iger insists Hamill and Fisher – who tragically passed away in December 2016 at the age of 60 – are more than deserving of the accolade.
He said: "The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor our company can bestow on an individual, reserved for those few who have truly made an indelible mark on the history of The Walt Disney Company. It’s a celebration of talent, a recognition of achievement, and an expression of gratitude to the men and women whose work has significantly contributed to Disney’s enduring reputation for creative excellence … We couldn’t be more excited for these amazing artists to join past Disney Legends such as Julie Andrews, Alan Menken, Robin Williams and George Lucas to name a few."
Other recipients of the honour this year include Marvel comics genius Stan Lee, Oprah Winfrey, Gary Marshall, Clyde ‘Gerry’ Geronimi, Wayne Jackson, Julie Taymor and Manuel Gonzales.
Each winner will be presented with a bronze statuette and will have their handprints immortalised in bronze for display at the company’s studio lot in Burbank, California.
Fisher will make her last appearance as Leia in the upcoming ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, which will also see Hamill, 65, back as Jedi Knight Luke.
Carrie Fisher to be named a Disney Legend
