Bob Iger is inducted as a 2026 Disney legend by Al Michaels Diane Sawyer, Ellen Pompeo, Robert Downey Jr. and Harrison Ford
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What Robert Iger said
Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.
Robert Iger, accepting the Disney Legend award at D23 Expo 2026, expressed gratitude to colleagues and friends, recalling his long association with Al Michaels, including being present for the 1980 'Miracle on Ice' game and his trade that brought Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Disney. He praised his successor Josh D'Amaro and emphasized that executives support creators, accepting the award on behalf of all Disney talent and cast members. He thanked his wife and shared a story about his son Max, noting he became president and COO of Disney when Max was two, and was named CEO twenty years ago. He closed by thanking audiences, subscribers, moviegoers, park guests, and D23 members for the magic and happiness.
Key takeaways
Iger traded Al Michaels to NBC in exchange for the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Disney's first character.
Iger was present at the 1980 US vs. Soviet Union hockey game when Al Michaels called the 'Miracle on Ice'.
Iger praised Josh D'Amaro as his successor, saying he wears the title well.
Iger said executives support creators, accepting the award on behalf of all Disney talent and cast members.
Iger noted he was named CEO of Disney twenty years ago, calling it 'a ride of a lifetime'.
Yeah. Now when people talk about Bob Iger, they often start with his extraordinary accomplishments, and they do this for a very good reason. He is one of the most consequential business leaders of our time, a visionary who was willing to take these big bold risks to empower creative talent and to imagine possibilities that other people just couldn't see. His impact on Disney and the entertainment industry as a whole, it is absolutely impossible to overstate.
Bob's always known that none of us own this. We're just the students.
And he never built for the moment. He built for what lasts, and that is what legends do.
We did yesterday.
But what I hope he admired most about Bob, it's not necessarily what he's accomplished. It is who he is.
He leads with integrity and with optimism. He treats everyone with respect, and he cares deeply about people, about Disney, and about the stories that we share with the whole world.
I've been fortunate to get to work alongside him, and his friendship has meant more than I can say. And so tonight, I couldn't be prouder to celebrate, and just as importantly, the remarkable example he set for all of us along the way. Please welcome.
About Bob: fifty years with Walt Disney Company, leading with vision, integrity, purpose. His enduring legacy isn't just what Disney became. It's the people who he inspired and the stories that live on for generations.
A core tenet of ours is to create change, not just to sit back and watch it happen.
Thank you, Bob, for all your leadership, work, optimism. He has vision in his heart. He's never lost track of who he is.
Every opportunity I've had to work with you, you have shown remarkable integrity. He's been a mentor for me.
I've known Bob for thirty-five years, and he has not aged a day.
That is what a great leader looks like—humility. He lifts you up. He makes you be the best that you possibly can be. And that, to me, is the mark of a leader and a better filmmaker.
You got to face it. You got to embrace it. You got to raise it. Bob is one of those people who is both in a position of great power but also deeply good, and that's pretty rare. He has made a major contribution to the Disney legacy. I have so much respect for who you are as a businessman, as a father, as a human being. Congratulations.
Looking back, it just happened so fast. I learned one lesson: enjoy what you do, because you won't do well unless you enjoy it.
5 more exchanges in this transcript
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Iger, R. (2026, August 16). D23 EXPO 2026- Bob Iger becomes a Disney Legend (Harrison Ford, Robert Downey, Jr, Al Michaels) [Interview transcript]. Cherry the Geek TV. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1219069/
MLA
Robert Iger. "D23 EXPO 2026- Bob Iger becomes a Disney Legend (Harrison Ford, Robert Downey, Jr, Al Michaels)." Cherry the Geek TV, 16 Aug. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1219069/.
BibTeX
@misc{iger2026_1219069,
author = {Robert Iger},
title = {D23 EXPO 2026- Bob Iger becomes a Disney Legend (Harrison Ford, Robert Downey, Jr, Al Michaels)},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, Cherry the Geek TV. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2026},
month = {aug},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1219069/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}
