She’s got the best of both worlds: Miley Cyrus became a first-time Grammy winner this year, and now she’s been named a Disney Legend.
Lainey Wilson took the stage to introduce Cyrus, performing her own lively rendition of the “Hannah Montana” classic “The Best of Both Worlds.” After the song, she told the singer, “Miley, I want to thank you for never being afraid to step outside the box, always staying true to yourself, and most importantly, always kicking butt.”
“I’m gonna let everybody get on a little Disney Legend secret. I’m the one that tells you what you’re not supposed to know. And what I want to say, is that legends get scared, too. I’m scared right now, but the difference is we do it anyway, and all of you can do that every single day. It’s legendary to be afraid and do it anyway. There is no such thing as failure when you try,” Cyrus said as she wiped away tears.
“In 2005, Disney was on a mission to rebuild the company. That’s why they hired Bob Iger, and me,” Cyrus continued with a laugh, recalling the process of being cast in “Hannah Montana.”
“I stand here still proud to have been ‘Hannah Montana,’” Cyrus said. “This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality To quote the legend herself, ‘This is the life,’” she added, referencing the ‘Hannah Montana’ song of the same name.
At the star-studded ceremony on Sunday night at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, Cyrus was honored alongside costume designer Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Disney Parks cast member Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marvel comic artist Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, animator Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, imagineer Joe Rohde and John Williams.
Disney’s Legends awards program is a hall of fame for individuals who have had a significant impact on the Disney legacy. Past honorees include Christina Aguilera, Stan Lee, Betty White and Oprah Winfrey.
Cyrus’ journey with the Mouse House began when she was just a tween, starring in the massively popular Disney Channel comedy “Hannah Montana” as an ordinary girl with a pop star double life. The series spawned a world tour, concert film and feature film — and made Cyrus a household name. It drew an average of 4.4 million viewers per episode, and still holds the record for the highest-rated basic cable series telecast ever from a 2007 episode that notched 10.7 million viewers.
Cyrus later voiced Penny in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ feature “Bolt” alongside John Travolta. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her song from the project, “I Thought I Lost You.”
She shed her squeaky clean image over time with grown-up hits like “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball” and “Malibu,” but returned to her roots last year with the Disney+ documentary concert special “Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions).”
At 31 years old, Cyrus is now the youngest person ever to be named a Disney Legend.
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