Disney held its inaugural Toast to TV on Monday at Soho House Holloway in West Hollywood, bringing together cast members and creators from across its television slate for a celebration of a strong year across Hulu, Disney+, FX and ABC. The event was hosted by Dana Walden, the Walt Disney Company’s President & Chief Creative Officer.
The gathering landed squarely in Emmy season, and Disney used it to spotlight projects that have helped define its year on television. The Hollywood Reporter welcomed cast members from The Testaments, Deli Boys, Abbott Elementary, Paradise, Dancing with the Stars, Welcome to Wrexham, Love Story and Swiped for a custom shoot, with Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday and Ann Dowd featured for The Testaments; Poorna Jagannathan and Asif Ali for Deli Boys; Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Chris Perfetti and William Stanford Davis for Abbott Elementary; Sterling K. Brown, Shailene Woodley and Thomas Doherty for Paradise; Alfonso Ribeiro and Derek Hough for Dancing with the Stars; and Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac for Welcome to Wrexham.
For some of the stars, the night also pointed to what is coming next. Deli Boys is set to premiere its new season on May 28, and Dancing with the Stars is coming off its record-breaking 34th season, which wrapped late last year. That mix of current momentum and upcoming launches gave the event a clear purpose beyond the photo shoot: Disney wanted to show that its TV brands are not just active, but moving with confidence into the next stretch of the awards and scheduling calendar.
The strongest sign of that came from the people in the room. Chase Infiniti said the cast and crew on The Testaments are deeply supportive, while Ann Dowd joked that they take care of her too, “which I do appreciate being the old lady on set.” Quinta Brunson brought her own shorthand for Abbott Elementary, calling herself “Class Clown,” “Most Popular” and “Most Likely to Succeed.” Shailene Woodley said her work on Paradise was “a highlight of my career,” and Thomas Doherty described one of his co-stars with the line, “You can hear him laughing before you see him.”
Disney’s first Toast to TV was less a corporate toast than a public inventory of strength. In a crowded Emmy season, the company used one room in West Hollywood to argue that its television lineup is broad, busy and still delivering shows that can carry attention into the months ahead.
