No, I don't. I don't have fears.
I fear being interviewed by a talk show host in a lengthy podcast.
Tell me this has not been the greatest interview of your life.
Somebody going to cue me or do I cue myself? Okay. Good to see you. How are you? How are you all? I'm Bob.
Let me just say something, Bob. This is not typically how we do this. Typically, we're in my son's bedroom. And we look like a pack of slobs.
Yes, we do. Yes. I didn't put a jacket on or anything.
No, no, no. I mean, you're still dressed up for us. Like, this is dressy compared to how we normally look. Okay, so everybody sit like—Jan, sit like a normal person. Albert, sit like a normal—we're going to make—we're going to look like we're working. Albert's wearing pretentious Gwyneth Paltrow glasses.
My reading vision is gone.
Everybody's acting normal. This is very exciting.
Okay, we're going to get right to it. Everyone, we are back with another scintillating episode of Let's Talk Off Camera. So let's get talking. Today, we are joined by a guest so powerful, so important, so actually above what we do here. He's the most influential guest we've ever had on this podcast. So that's why we have moved the podcast out of Michael's bedroom and moved it into this swanky podcast studio. Who even knew we had a podcast? Who are we right now? We are here in the ABC building owned by none other than the guy we are talking to today. He is big-time. Albert, I mean big-time. Massive. Massive. Jan, Jan wore slacks today. Jan typically is in a sloppy pair of sweatpants.
I'm always sweaty. I mean, my god, this is—
You're wearing a jacket and Gwyneth Paltrow trial glasses. So we've got the big boss here today. He's got, you know, BDE, as we like to say. Big Disney energy. Don't, don't panic, Bob. This is what, G-rated or PG or—this is an all-rating. We appeal to everyone here. Uh, he's the CEO of the Walt Disney Company. We are talking about Bob Iger.
So, Jan, Albert—yep. I think because Bob's time is money, money is time, we should jump right in with the most pertinent questions that we have, and we have a lot. Bob, uh, not to quote a non-Disney movie, but there's a famous line in Godfather III, where Al Pacino famously says, 'Just when I got out, they pulled me back in.' Is this not in fact what happened to you when you prematurely announced your departure?
Michael Corleone has always been my idol. Yes, right. Yes, to follow in his footsteps. Uh-huh. And so that's what I was doing. Actually, it was not my intention to be pulled back in. Maybe that's always the case, and I don't want to sound like I'm protesting too much. But I retired willingly and happily in 2021.
I tasted retirement for 11 glorious months, let me say.
Learning that the world could be perfectly stimulating and stress-free, which is not an experience that I was used to. And then the call came from the chairman of the board, Susan Arnold, on a Friday saying, 'We need you to come back.'
And I felt a company that I started working for in 1974, 50 years ago, July 1, hard to believe.
That I owed it to the company that meant so much to me and had been so good to me to answer the call, really. And that was a Friday, and it was announced on Sunday night and I was working again Monday.
We all know where we were.
But again, it was not my intention, meaning I retired with an intent to stay retired.
Bob, come on. Between you and me, between you and me, you were—and the rest of the podcast listening world—you were getting bored. Come on. How many bicycles can you ride? How many—how many places in the world can you visit?
I, you know, it's exaggerated by many that I was bored. I was not bored at all. I loved the fact that I did not have a to-do list that was a mile long, that I didn't wake up in the middle of the night feeling that I was late for my next meeting, which often happened, or that I was missing a plane, that I could read the paper and not keep looking at my watch in the morning because I had to get someplace. I had enough stimulation. Fortunately, there were enough people in the world that still had some interest in me and wanted to keep me engaged, but I really didn't have anything to feel stressed about. And that was quite a luxurious feeling.
And so when you decide to give all of that up, and I know that you actually are a very thoughtful person and you weigh everything, and you have your consigliere, Willow, at home, do you run this—do you have that discussion?
Pasta meals I was going to make for her when she came home from a hard day at work. Correct.
Well, how did that discussion go?
Well, I think, you know, you're right to use the word consigliere. There's no one—I think you can relate to this because of your relationship with Mark. There's no one more important to me than Willow in my life. And I do speak with her about all important decisions, and she does the same to me. I also respect her opinion, value her opinion tremendously. So the call from the chairman of the board was scheduled a couple of days earlier, and so I posed the question to Willow, basically, 'What do you think she wants?' And Willow said, 'I don't think they want you to come back.' Or something along those lines.
I wish I was there. I would have been like, 'They definitely are.'
Well, so I asked the question, 'Well, what if they do ask me to come back?' And she said without one second of hesitation, 'You have to say yes.'
And that meant a lot to me because I think she had a very strong sense that if they asked that I should feel obligated. And I said, 'Well, tell me why.' And she said, 'Well, you love the company. They wouldn't ask you back if they didn't need you.' And actually, those words meant so much to me because her instinct on things is something I respect so much.
It's interesting, you know, I've known you a long time, and you're one of the most hands-on executives that I've ever met. Like, you are very aware of everything that's going on in the business, not just the parks departments or the movie studios or negotiations with the unions. You're aware of, you know, when Gelman dresses up like Madonna on our show. Things like that. Like, you are in the details. So your first day of retirement, did you sleep in? Did you totally check out of everything? Or were you still acutely aware of everything that was going on from afar?
I would say turning it all off and that awareness took a little time. So it wasn't exactly abrupt, but it happened faster than one would expect it would because suddenly, by the way, not only is it not yours, it's—you're quickly reminded that the office you had for how many years you were renting, you didn't own. The same thing with the title. And I was preparing myself for that. It's hard for me to remember at this point because it feels like I never left.
Right, exactly. You know, it's funny, too, because I was in my office in New York this morning. I walked in. I opened the cabinet remembering what was in the cabinet before I retired, but all those things were gone because I moved everything out, and I didn't move them back in.
And I thought, 'Oh, this is empty.' But I remember exactly what was there. Anyway, what do you think other Bob kept in there? Did he keep anything in there?
I don't know. I just don't know. Not for me to comment.
So I was at this lunch yesterday, and there were a lot of like heavy-hitter Hollywood people there. I know, it's very unusual for me to attend a lunch like that, but there were—
In the Hamptons? Is this—
Or Long Island, as we like to call it, so as to not sound like—
So, and so it was very funny. I had mentioned that I was talking to you for the podcast, and everyone there had the same universal sentiment. They all believe you should run for president. They all thought that you would run for president when you left the company for your brief hiatus. Is that something that people approach you about often?
It is. And first of all, let me set the record straight right away. I'm not running for president.
I am absolutely positive. No, no, no. No, I am not announcing it here.
If you announce it somewhere else, I'm going to be very upset. I am going to haunt your dreams.
Right. Well, I could promise you the scoop, but you'll be forever unfulfilled in that regard. I'm not running for president. It is something that people over the years have mentioned often, and some quite powerful people, including people in government. And it is something that I seriously considered twice. Once in 2015 before the Trump-Hillary Clinton election, and Willow was adamant about me not doing that for very deep personal reasons. She basically said you can run for any office in the land, but not with this wife. That's kind of how she put it.
And interesting at the time, the premise that I had was that America was ready for an outsider and was tired of kind of the same old people and political parties. And in a way I was right because America elected an outsider in Donald Trump. He did not come from the Washington world.
So, the second time was 2017, and my premonition about America electing an outsider came true, and I thought, well, maybe I'll give it a shot this next time around. And I studied it quite seriously, meaning I took time to meet with a lot of people and do some research on it and see whether it was even plausible. And actually people who shall be nameless, but a few elected officials came forward and encouraged me to do so and suggested they would give me their full support.
And I was thinking about it, but I was far from making the decision to do it when the opportunity for the Walt Disney Company to buy assets from Rupert Murdoch and 20th Century Fox came up, which is a large acquisition and one that I knew if I had recommended to the board, they would say, rightfully so, well, you're supposed to leave.
I was thinking at that time, I was supposed to leave the end of '18, if we're going to make this acquisition, you have to agree to stay. In fact, Rupert Murdoch had the same thoughts because he was taking stock in the Walt Disney Company. And I put that over everything else. And I was not—again, let me stress the fact that I had not decided to run for president, but I was taking it seriously.
And what did Willow say the second time around? Was she more on board the second time?
I would say on board would be a bit of an overstatement, but not—
No, not opposed in the sense that she—I think the way she said it is when I married you, I gave my vows for better or for worse or whatever, richer for poorer. I guess it would have become poorer if I were—
Right. Right. Right. A lot poorer.
Yes, but it was along the lines of, look, I married you and I owe it to you to support your various endeavors and dreams, and I wouldn't say she was fully supportive, but she was not going to fight me.
She would have made an incredible first lady, don't you think?
Yeah, well, look, she's so accomplished in her own right.
It's funny because there was one of the people that I met with at the time, who shall be nameless, but consider them a powerful member of the Democratic Party at the time, not going to say. He said to me, 'You should run for president.' And I said, 'Tell me why.' And his first words out of his mouth were, 'Well, you look the part.' I said, 'Give me a break. That's not enough.' And then he said, 'And your wife really looks the part.'
I've never discussed running for president with Bill Clinton.
You don't even get 10 guesses.
I don't get 10 guesses? This is my podcast. So, okay, the rest of the podcast time guessing 21 questions. We're not going to. Let's move on. So, we've got this event coming up.
Disney Legends. Now, listen to this, Jan and Albert, because I want you to show me the reverence I deserve, which frankly is always missing. Always. There is no living with me now. Now, Disney Legends, I did not know was a real thing. So, I want you to know, here are the honorees, some of the honorees. I'll just give you the highlights. Angela Bassett, Harrison Ford, Frank Oz, James Cameron, my personal favorite, John Williams, because I never met him and I just think he's a genius living amongst us.
And then, for a curveball of all curveballs, and again, one of the moments where I thought Deborah O'Connell was playing an April Fools' prank on me, I am an honoree.
For your work on All My Children.
For my work on All My Children. Thank you.
Thank—you—yes—that's where I was getting to.
Why? Why me? You needed a real person in there to sort of stabilize. There's a lot of greatness, but then they're like, okay, how do we honor regular people?
Well, first of all, Disney Legends is basically the equivalent of the Disney Hall of Fame.
And when you think about the Walt Disney Company, a company that's over 100 years old, there are many people that have had just a huge impact on the company and because of the company's position on the world and that have contributed mightily not just to our success, but to what we represent to the world. And you named a few, Harrison Ford, obviously, Indiana Jones, Han Solo, James Cameron for his work on Avatar, among other things. And if you look over the years at people that we've named, Peter Jennings and Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters, to name a few, but also Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews and voices of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and we could go on and on. And when you think about your contributions, how long you've been doing Live for now? How long? Remind me.
Live—this is, it'll be my 25th year.
Yeah. So, that's 25 years, and think of the number—there's the sheer amount of time you've been on the air. Probably when you add that up, it's right up there, and that's—
But you haven't aged a bit, is it?
But you—I thought about it because ultimately I approved this list and will be there for the event. And actually I thought, well, why didn't we think of that earlier? You actually have been worthy for a while. And I think it speaks volumes about not only you, but the show, too, that you've been on now for so long and that we value. It's not just sitting in a chair and saying good morning every morning. I think it's who you are and what you represent, and you've done other things for the company, too.
Well, I've spent my entire career at this company. Like, I've never—as have I. I will say, you know, ABC was where I started at All My Children, but I think it was my second year with the company that Disney—
'90—okay, so my fifth—it was the summer of '95. Fifth year in the company, Disney took over. And so, I really have spent my entire career working for one company. And first of all, it's a very rare thing for a performer such as myself, but it's an even rarer thing for a company to not expel people when their sell-by date is issued. And I think that is part of your great vision and why it's a privilege to work here, is because there is sort of a unity in all of us. We all see the value in what we're doing. We all see the greatness that is working within this company.
Well, I can relate in many ways because I started as a—what was called a studio supervisor, the equivalent of a production assistant of sorts. Actually, I worked on All My Children and One Life to Live when they were 30-minute shows in a small studio across the street from where we're sitting today. And here I am actually 50 years later. Now, we were bought by Disney in '95 as you referenced. So, I never did a resume. I started one company and I'm still at the company. Anyway, it's nice to share that experience with you.
It's so funny because I always think like the job is the reward, and I never thought I had impostor syndrome until Deborah presented me with the letter from you with your very funny note that made me—you know, when I saw my name alongside the other names, I just immediately for the first time ever in my life felt like I don't belong here. These people are the definition of greatness, and I just go to work every day and do my job. But I honestly feel like my job is the gift. I don't deserve an honor on top of the honor.
Well, I think one of the reasons you're so successful is people relate to you and believe that you're talking to them or with them. And I think that's really one of your superpowers. And I guarantee you that I think there'll probably be about—I don't know, 5 to 10,000 people, I know that's a big range—in the audience when you get this because it's happening, I think, at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
I'm going to need a plan and pen. I need a plan and pen.
You know, we'll—we'll have a shot, we'll do shots beforehand.
I guarantee the applause for you will be just as loud and just as supportive as Harrison Ford and all the other people that you mentioned.
I can guarantee you that won't happen. But I will have my—I've been to many of these. I'll make sure my kids cheer. So, here—just, if you don't mind, a quick John Williams story, which is also about me. In June of 2022, I got a call from someone at Buckingham Palace in the UK telling me that I was being named an honorary Knight of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. And that one other person was getting that distinction then, and that was John Williams.
And we were both told—we compared notes—to be quiet about it. At some point it'll be formalized and then we'll figure out a ceremony. That was in June. Queen Elizabeth died in September. And so I wondered, well, there goes my knighthood.
And soon after she died, Buckingham Palace put out a press release that said Queen Elizabeth II has named John Williams and Robert Iger knights of the British Empire.
And when you're not a citizen of the empire or the Commonwealth, then you're called an honorary knight. But I found out, the first question I had is, is the bling the same? You know, is the—
The whole ceremony with the—
Well, so as it turns out, it took a long time, but I was at Windsor Castle last month.
And I got my knighthood. Wait, so are you Sir Bob Iger?
So, because I'm not a citizen of the Commonwealth, I'm what's called a KBE, which is Knight of the British Empire, but I'm honorary. So that means I'm not a sir.
So I'm still going to call you Sir Bob.
Whatever you like. Sir Bobby, or—
We should have done the whole intro. Sir Bob Iger.
But I got this glorious, like, beautiful leather box, and it's a pin and a medal with a ribbon that you wear around your neck, which I should have brought in today.
I know. My gosh, show and tell. And it says 'For God and the Empire' on it. Oh my gosh.
Pretty cool. And John Williams and I were the last two people knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
So wait, so okay. So you get home, you get back to LA from London and you come in in your trench coat. I don't know why you're in a trench coat. You're not in a mink stole, you're in a trench coat. You're in a sensible businessman trench coat. And you open it up. So Willow says, how was it?
Oh. All right. Well, never mind. And now my story is ruined.
You didn't like rip off the trench coat and the medals there.
No, I haven't worn it. It stays in the box which sits on a desk in my office at home.
You're going to wear it to the Disney Legends ceremony though, right? You got to—you got to wear it.
I don't know when I'll wear it. I maybe never, but as bling goes, it's right up there. It's pretty cool.
I have to see it. Okay, so now that I'm a Disney Legend, does that mean that I am in Club 33? And for our listeners, what is Club 33?
Thousand bucks, you'll get in. Yeah.
Club 33 is really a restaurant, and I'll call it lounge bar, that is up above an area at Disneyland called New Orleans Square, which is where Pirates of the Caribbean is. And it is a club that people join and pay to join, although there's a waiting list a mile long, that gives you basically privileges to have dinner there, or I guess there's lunch as well, or go and have a drink in the middle of the day.
Yeah, it's really nice. Actually, the food is quite good. And it was—this was established by Walt Disney himself. It was his idea. And it's very popular, meaning there's a long waiting list for people to get in.
Even the legends? The legends don't get priority placement on the list?
I'm not sure. I don't know what comes with a legend award besides two things: you get a great statue—
And you get your hands imprinted, and that goes up in what's called Legends Plaza, which is on the Disney lot in Burbank where we have—they're basically plaques with handprints, and you'll be up there with, you know, a variety of different Disney legends that will make you proud.
Really incredible. And are you—let me ask you this, are you a Disney legend?
