Nick Jonas honored former Disney CEO Bob Iger at a New York gala, tracing his Disney story from playing Chip on Broadway at age 9 to becoming a Disney Legend this summer.
Nick Jonas started at Disney as a teacup. Now he’s a Disney Legend, and he made sure Bob Iger got some of the credit.
Jonas spoke at the PAC NYC Icons of Culture Gala in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 27, where the former Disney CEO was honored, People reported. He took a day off from the Jonas Brothers’ current tour to do it.
“When I first worked for Disney, I was just little Chip,” Jonas said. Then: “Yep, that cutie right there is me.”
Did Nick Jonas really play Chip in Beauty and the Beast?
He did. Jonas played Chip, the little teacup, in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast when he was 9, People reported.
“That kid had no idea that just a few years later, he’d be recording an album for Disney,” he said at the gala, calling it the start of “a two decade relationship that would change his life in unimaginable ways.”
He also credited Iger with helping turn the brothers into “bonafide Disney Channel stars,” according to People.
Here’s Disney’s trailer for Camp Rock 3, the latest chapter in the brothers’ Disney story:
What did Nick Jonas say about Bob Iger?
The big moment came when he talked about 2019. When the Jonas Brothers got back together that year, Iger “was among the first to reach out,” People reported.
“That conversation led to two more movies,” Jonas said, along with original music at Disney parks around the world.
“And this summer, that story came full circle,” he said. “Joe, Kevin, and I were named Disney Legends right alongside Bob.”
He closed with a line aimed straight at the honoree: “Bob, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather share this honor with.”
Jonas then introduced a performance of songs from Frozen, Aladdin and The Greatest Showman, People reported.
When did the Jonas Brothers become Disney Legends?
The brothers were named Disney Legends at D23 in August 2026, alongside Iger and others. That’s Disney’s top honor for people who’ve made a lasting mark on the company.
“The kid who played Chip and the man who believed in him inducted together,” Jonas said. It’s a pretty tidy story for a guy who started out as dishware.
What did the Jonas Brothers do at Disney?
A lot. The brothers signed with Disney’s Hollywood Records in 2007 and guest-starred on Hannah Montana that August.
Then came the Disney Channel movie Camp Rock in June 2008, with Joe playing Shane Gray opposite Demi Lovato, and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam in September 2010. Their Disney Channel series Jonas premiered in May 2009.
The band split in 2013 and came back in March 2019 with “Sucker,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
What are the Jonas Brothers doing now?
Plenty. Camp Rock 3 premiered on Disney Channel and Disney+ this past August, with the brothers back as Connect 3. A Very Jonas Christmas Movie landed on Disney+ in November 2025.
Demi Lovato, who starred opposite Joe in the first two movies, pops up in the new one in a smaller role.
There’s more Jonas coming to Disney+ soon, too. Laughing Place’s November Disney+ lineup lists the brothers’ podcast, Hey Jonas!, arriving on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Disney hasn’t said much more about it yet, so check the app that day.
They’re also on the road. The Burning Up Tour All Over Again opened Aug. 20 at Madison Square Garden and wraps Tuesday, Dec. 22, with a hometown show in Newark, New Jersey.
Who else spoke at Bob Iger’s PAC NYC gala?
Robin Roberts and David Muir, both from Disney-owned ABC News, spoke at the event, People reported. Singer Samara Joy performed, and Broadway’s Austin Scott and Isaiah Johnson sang “One Last Time” from Hamilton.
Iger stepped away from Disney in March, People noted. PNP reported on Oct. 22 that Iger says life after Disney is quieter, and he likes it.
Still, it’s hard to picture a better hype man for his Disney legacy than the former Chip himself. Little teacup, big career.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
People (Oct. 30, 2026), Nick Jonas’ speech and gala details
Laughing Place (Oct. 31, 2026), additional coverage of the speech
Disney Plus, the Camp Rock 3 trailer
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