“Spider-Man: No Way Home” actress Mary Rivera, who played the memorable role of Ned Leeds’ Filipino grandmother, has died.
A family member told TMZ that Rivera passed away on April 15 and has since been cremated. The actress has suffered a stroke and was in a coma.
The outlet reported that Rivera’s family decided to remove her from life support after doctors said her prognosis was poor, even if she regained consciousness from the coma. She was 82.
Rivera is survived by her husband, Alejandro, her children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, per the outlet.
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Star Mary Rivera Lived a Good Life
Rivera’s family told TMZ that the actress lived a good life and was extremely proud to appear in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
In the film, Rivera shared a scene with Jacob Batalon, Zendaya, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield. She asked the superhero to remove the cobwebs from the ceiling in Tagalog.
In May 2022, Rivera’s daughter, Angie Kelly, shared how her grandmother landed the beloved role.
“I happened to be on a friend’s Facebook scrolling, and I see an ad, a casting call looking for a local Hawaiสปi Filipina grandmother between the age of 50 and 90,” Kelly told The Conversation. “And immediately I thought, ‘Oh, well my mom qualifies and checks off all those boxes.'”
Kelly recalled, “They just asked her to talk about herself and why she wanted to do the role. So she just gave a brief history of her time in the Philippines and what brought her to the United States, and raising her four children and 11 grandchildren โ and basically that that is her biggest accomplishment of everything that she’s done. My mom has worn many hats over the years. She was a radio broadcaster, a teacher, but most notable was her role as a mother and grandmother.”
Kelly said Rivera’s role as Ned’s Lola became a source of pride for their family, as fans worldwide embraced her character.
“It’s been an amazing adventure. To us, she’s just my mom. But to the rest of the world, she’s Ned’s Lola,” she added. “It’s humbling really, because never before in cinematic history really has there been a place for the Filipino language and culture. They did a really good job with paying attention to the details of our culture.”
Fans Send Love for Beloved ‘Spider-Man’ Actress
Fans quickly flooded social media with heartfelt tributes and condolences for the beloved “Spider-Man” actress.
A Filipino fan wrote, “She brought me so much joy in No Way Home. That movie got me excited because of Tobey, Andrew, and the past villains returning. But what I didnโt expect was to get clear Filipino representation in my favorite superhero franchise on the big screen. She helped make the film mean so much more to me than it already was. Iโm going to miss her so much. Rest in peace, Lola Mary.”
Someone commented, “She may have had a short appearance in Spiderman but she nailed it rest in peace!!”
A fan added, “The web just lost a bright thread, rest easy Mary,” while another chimed in, “Everybody, in her honor, remove a cobweb from your ceiling.”
