Dwayne Johnson officially joined Disney's most exclusive club on Saturday, inducted as a 2026 Disney Legend during a sold-out ceremony at the Honda Center in Anaheim as part of the studio's biennial D23 fan expo. The honor, which comes with a permanent handprint cast alongside past inductees, recognized Johnson's run of Disney hits from "Jungle Cruise" to the "Moana" franchise and "Race to Witch Mountain."

His "Jungle Cruise" co-star Emily Blunt handled induction duties, and by all accounts she did not hold back. Blunt told the crowd that the larger-than-life "Rock" persona is essentially a performance, describing the real Johnson as disarmingly wise, gentle and curious — in her words, "a nonconforming, rule-breaking rebel" underneath the muscle.

Johnson, notoriously prone to getting emotional at career milestones, said he'd tossed his prepared remarks and was speaking from the heart. He kept circling back to family over fame.

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. We all do what we can to create moments and experiences of joy for people and their families all around the world."

He then told a story about a Disney trip that brought his daughter Simone so much joy that he wanted to mark the occasion right there on stage — leading the entire arena in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" in her honor, while also shouting out his younger daughters Jasmine and Tiana, who were watching from home.

A Star-Studded Class of 2026

Johnson wasn't the only famous name in this year's cohort. Ryan Seacrest hosted an 11-person class that also included Anne Hathaway, former Disney CEO Bob Iger, the Jonas Brothers, "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, longtime Disney creative Jerry Bruckheimer, voice actor Alan Tudyk and animator Eric Goldberg, among others, according to ABC News' coverage of the ceremony. The night capped a packed D23 weekend that also included Iger's own handprint ceremony and a wave of theme-park and film announcements from the studio.

For Johnson, the recognition lands at a strange moment career-wise — he's currently deep in an awards push for his dramatic turn in "The Smashing Machine" — but Saturday's ceremony was pure nostalgia, a reminder of the family-friendly blockbusters that made him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars in the first place.